


Playing for Keeps

by EnglishPoet18



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-03-06 17:11:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3142229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglishPoet18/pseuds/EnglishPoet18





	1. Chapter 1

...

"Heads up Dixon!" A loud voice barked out from the sidelines.

Daryl shook his head and eyed his opponent, slowly bobbing back and forth on the balls of his feet. Sweat beaded across his brow and his muscles were still stiff and sore from the last fight, but he pushed past it. Nothing mattered at that moment but the fight and his will to win. After all, he and Merle needed the money for rent.

His opponent was a big burly black man dubbed 'Big T' and the name seemed to fit because the dude really was fucking big. Big, small, wide, or thin, it didn't much matter to Daryl though. If you were good and you knew the tricks, you could bring nearly anyone to their knees. The trick was to stay focused. Keep his eye on the fight, his head up and in the game. In the ring was where he ruled the world.

Big T bounded to the side and jabbed his right fist into Daryl's stomach. Daryl felt his breath leave him momentarily, but he shook it off and used his smaller frame to his advantage. Dipping down low he brought his left fist up and into the other man's jaw for a fierce uppercut. The other man swore and cracked his neck, working his jaw. A thin trail of blood dribbled down his chin where Daryl had undoubtedly jarred his teeth with the hit, but he didn't go down.

They circled each other once more before Daryl began to grow impatient. That was his downfall...no patience to wait on his opponent to make their move. He had too much energy to sit still, always had. He faked left and delivered a kick to the shin before punching Big T directly in his face, a sickening crunch echoing in his ears. The big man went down like a rock, his nose pouring blood and Daryl held his breath, waiting to see if he would get back up.

One of the men that they called 'BK' called a time and slid into the ring, throwing Daryl's hand into the air to declare a victory. The small group of maybe three dozen men cheered along with some who booed that their desired opponent didn't win, but Daryl didn't care about all that. He only wanted the money. The landlord was already coming down on their ass for being late... _again._

If only Merle hadn't drank away most of their profits last time, Daryl thought bitterly. He exited the ring and looked around for his brother, finally hearing his loud voice coming from the back of the building, talking with several other men who were standing around. The minute Merle spotted Daryl, his eyes did a full sweep for injuries and then he smirked confidently, nodding his head as he gestured to his buddies and back to Daryl.

Daryl weaved through the crowd and stopped next to them. "And this here is my lil' brother Daryl," Merle boasted. "Best damn fighter there ever was...aside from myself that is." Merle and the others laughed. Daryl just shook his head and pushed a hand through his hair tiredly.

"Gonna go collect and I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Daryl shouted into Merle's ear. He disappeared to the front of the building, slipping through the thinning crowd easily. His fight had been the last and all of the men were now leaving to go on about their normal lives that didn't include placing bets to watch men get their asses beat. Daryl still found it hard to believe that people were so into this shit even though he had been fighting for well over a year now.

He and Merle had stumbled onto the fights purely by accident. One of Merle's asshole friends had gotten Merle into the fights one night and ever since then Merle had chomped at the bit to learn more about them. Once he had found out that there was money involved it hadn't taken Merle long to convince Daryl that they needed this to stay afloat. After all, neither of them wanted to go back to the hellhole they had grown up in with their asshole of a dad that drank himself into oblivion.

Most of what they had learned about fighting was self-taught. It spawned from years of having to defend themselves from their own dad and from others who had constantly tried to test them in school. Daryl had probably gotten the worst end of the stick from their dad Hank. Hank liked to beat on Daryl, even more so when Merle hadn't been around. It had slowed some once Daryl had started to fight back, but it hadn't ever stopped and they doubted it ever would.

Daryl nodded to Jax, the guy who collected the bets and distributed the payouts at the end of the night. "Dixon," Jax nodded to him. He flipped several bills in his hand, peeling them off one by one and handed them over to Daryl who accepted them gratefully. "Good turnout tonight."

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, guess so." He flipped through the money swiftly before tucking it back into his pocket in surprise. One hundred and fifty bucks? He'd take it. "Thanks man." He saluted Jax before heading back in search of his brother. All he wanted to do now was go home and relax a bit.

...

"God this is good," Carol said as she swirled the wine around in her glass. She propped her feet up on the ottoman in her living room next to her best friend Alex's bare feet. "Now if I only had someone to rub my feet."

Alex hummed in agreement as she sipped her wine, "Amen to that. We need someone tall, dark, and fuckin' fabulous."

"With a nice ass," Carol amended. "And maybe some tattoos."

Alex snickered, "You've been working too hard. You need to get laid."

Carol ignored her friend's comment and focused on finishing her wine instead. She hadn't dated anyone since medical school and she hadn't wanted to. Her life, such as it was, was chaotic at best and it didn't leave much room for romance. And Carol was definitely not a one night stand kind of woman. Not that she would change anything. She loved her job...most days.

Most days her job was the best in the world and her patients made her day so rewarding. Then there were days like today where she couldn't seem to catch a break. One of her patients had come in with severe bruising and signs of other mild trauma as well. Carol had an inkling that there had been more to the situation than met the eye and she had been right. The child was being abused by an alcoholic father. Carol had immediately called in the authorities, grateful to get the child to a safe place, but hating the looks of betrayal she had received from the distraught mother. It was tough life sometimes...and she didn't like breaking a family apart, but the children were what mattered. The kids were what kept her going.

She had worked hard to get to where she was today. She shared a practice with three other pediatricians including herself and because of that the hours weren't too grueling for the most part. Often times she probably worked more than she should, but she truly enjoyed her job. Her job paid the bills, had bought her this nice condo that she owned and the nice sporty SUV that sat in the driveway. She didn't lack for much as far as money went and she wasn't greedy either.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Alex asked softly.

Carol glanced over at her friend. They had been friends for ten years and she figured they would probably be friends for at least ten more. No one knew her better than Alex and she had always been there for Carol, helping to push her through medical school even when she had felt like giving up. Alex wasn't a doctor. She couldn't stand the thought of needles, blood, and any other injuries. Alex worked the front desk, answering phones and filing medical records. It didn't make her any less important in Carol's book.

"You're right," Carol said wistfully. "You're always right."

"About what?" Alex ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, brushing it off of her shoulders.

"I need to get laid. It's been too long...What if I forgot how?"

Alex spit out the wine in her mouth and grabbed Carol's unfinished glass of wine from her hands. "Alright that's it, you've had enough wine for the evening. Now you're spouting off drunken nonsense."

"It's not nonsense," Carol shook her head. "It could happen."

"Having sex is like riding a bicycle. It's not something you just forget Carol. For fuck's sake."

Carol shrugged, "Maybe."

"Oh my God! Will you listen to yourself? You're making _me_ depressed about my own sex life and I happen to have gotten laid just last week." She grinned cheekily. "We're going out this weekend. It's your weekend off and we're gonna make the most of it."

Carol groaned. "Oh no, no way. You'll drag me along to some club where you'll pair off with some ridiculously hot guy and leave me to the wolves."

"I would nev- " Alex sighed. "Okay, so I did do that a few times. I'm such a bad friend. I blame it on the hormones."

Carol tried to stifle her laughter but failed and a giggle burst forth from her lips. Alex smiled and then joined in with her own laughter. They slouched back against the couch and leaned against one another, just living in the moment, each lost in their own daydreams.

"We're going so stop thinking up excuses not to," Alex said suddenly.

Carol's mouth dropped and she started to deny it, but there was no use. Alex knew her too well and Carol _had_ been thinking up reasons to stay home. "This place could use a good cleaning," she protested.

"Still going."

"I have a ton of laundry to catch up on and there's a new Sean Patrick Flanery movie on Pay-Per-View."

"Going!" Alex replied in a sing-song voice and Carol sighed.

It appeared that she was going out this weekend whether she liked it or not.

...


	2. Chapter 2

...

"Remind me why it is that I let you drag me to this bar again?" Carol leaned over to whisper in Alex's ear.

Alex tossed her hair over her shoulder and grinned at Carol, "Because you love me and you know I'm right. Some hot sex will do you good."

"You make it sound like some kind of herbal tea or something," Carol snickered.

Alex rolled her eyes and signaled the bartender, ordering the two of them more drinks. She swiveled on her stool and eyed Carol up and down. "Quit your bitchin' honey, you look fabulous."

"You're just saying that because you're my best friend." Except in a way, Carol kind of felt like she _did_ look fabulous. For once she wasn't in scrubs, yoga pants, or sweats and it made her feel all girly inside. She wasn't one for skirts, but this one wasn't too bad. The black fabric hugged her body, giving her curves she hadn't noticed before now. Paired with the top and boots, she almost felt like she could handle this. Almost.

She was terrified. Give her a sick child any day or time and she could diagnose them, but trying to find someone to connect with? Forget it. Alex knew she wasn't a one night stand kind of woman, but she had insisted that Carol needed this to "get her feet wet". And once Alex got something in her head then it was pretty much useless to argue with her. Besides, at least they were out of the house spending some quality girl time together. That was very much needed after the busy week she had had.

"What about him?" Alex tipped her head across the bar at a man with short cropped dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes and broad shoulders. Carol sipped her drink while she studied the man, watching him interact with several others around him.

"He's got impressive muscles," Carol conceded.

"I bet that's not all that's impressive."

"Meh. Not interested. Too military for me."

"Alright, let's see. How about that guy over by the pool tables with the hat?"

Carol followed her gaze, giving it some thought until the man looked up letting the light shine upon his face and both ladies cringed before quickly looking away. Alex snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. Carol, however, was inwardly cringing and hoping that the man hadn't seen that as an invitation to come and talk to them. Despite her reluctance, Carol began to giggle as well, the alcohol making its way down deep into her belly.

Alex waved for another round of drinks and they exchanged empty glasses for full ones. Carol toyed with the cardboard coasters, running her finger back and forth along the edge of the square.

"What about him?" Alex nudged her.

Carol sighed and humored her friend by looking up and following her gaze across the bar near the entrance. Her eyes swept the length of him in surprise and she greedily devoured the rest of him mentally. His simple grey tank stretched taut across a set of nicely sculpted abs, but it was the biceps that did her in. Large and firm muscles littered his upper body, making desire pool in her belly as she imagined what might be hiding in the lower half. When he moved his arms she could see a tattoo on the inside of his right bicep. She had such a weakness for tattoos.

She had one of her own near her hip that was easily covered by the waist of any pants that she happened to be wearing. There was just something so erotic about body art. She couldn't quite explain it, but it looked really nice on this guy she knew that much.

"Oh God, he's coming over here," Carol whispered frantically. "Stop staring!"

Alex scowled, "I will if you stop acting like we're in high school all over again. He's sexy as sin Carol. If you don't want him then I'll take him."

"No," Carol said quickly, her eyes still following the man as he drew closer. "I mean, I'll give it a shot," she flushed at her words even as they left her lips.

The man plopped down on a stool only two away from Carol. He looked tired - no, tired wasn't the right word for it. He looked _exhausted_ and ridiculously sexy, but he didn't appear to want any company either. She was apprehensive about approaching him. He was gorgeous, yes, but what if he didn't want any company? And why was she over thinking this so much?

Alex nudged Carol with her elbow, leaning over to whisper, "Go."

Carol glanced fleetingly at her friend and then took a deep breath, sliding from her stool and walking to the other side of the guy to take a seat. He raised one brow, startling blue eyes sliding to hers before centering back over to the bar. She was sure she looked completely stupid in that moment, but she was determined to at least try.

"Hi." She groaned as soon as the word left her mouth, feeling all kinds of lame. Her face was flushed and she practically lunged towards the bartender, ordering herself a shot of the first thing that came to mind. She could feel his eyes on her, but he had yet to say anything and it was making her nervous. The bartender set the shot down in front of her and she stared down at the dark liquid before grabbing it and chugging it down before she could talk herself out of it. Liquid fire burned down her throat making her eyes water.

"I'm impressed," the guy spoke finally, his voice a deep rich baritone that slid over her skin like rough silk.

Carol coughed once, wondering to herself what in the hell the man could be so impressed about. She had ordered a shot of Whiskey and chugged it. Surely he had to have seen someone drink Whiskey before even though it had been her first time.

"Impressed?" She questioned with a slightly hoarse voice.

He gestured to her empty shotglass, "Didn't peg you for a Whiskey drinker. Strong shit there."

"You're tellin' me," Carol replied. "Wow." She tried to stop her head from spinning as she focused on sparkling clean glasses stacked up behind the bar. Apparently when people said Whiskey was strong, they meant it.

Warm, rough, fingers slid over her wrist and tightened around her forearm. "You okay?"

Even his voice was sexy she thought miserably. Maybe she could just blurt it out right here in the middle of the crowded bar. Just bluntly ask him if he wanted to have no holds barred, up against the wall sex. Except for some reason, she couldn't quite get her brain to comply with her mouth. Without even thinking about the fact that he was a stranger, she pressed one hand over his chest, hoping that by touching him she could therefore steady herself. Her thin fingers slid over the cotton of his t-shirt, tracing the lines of muscle that were somehow hidden beneath.

"You smell nice," she murmured. _What the hell?_ She looked for Alex to back her up and save her from making a further fool of herself, but her friend had vacated her seat, leaving her one her own just like she had feared. Damn her.

Muscles - the name she had silently picked for him - chuckled. "Thanks, I think. How many drinks you had already?"

"I don't drink," Carol heard herself mumble. "I'm a doctor."

He was quiet for a moment and she was vaguely aware of the fact that her hand still rested upon his chest, her fingers stroking lazy circles over his shirt. She knew that she should stop...that this wasn't the kind of woman she was, but she just couldn't drag her hand away.

"I think you've reached your limit," he commented. "Maybe I should call you a cab?"

Carol waved away his statement, "Nope, I'm totally fine. My friend is here even though she's not in her seat. I warned her that she would leave me, but she insisted I come here because I need to get laid desperately. I told her I'm not the kind of woman who sleeps with random men, but she's kind of bossy and well, here I am!"

"Christ," he whispered beneath his breath. "You're toasted. Your friend...is she the woman who was sitting with you?"

Carol nodded, "Mhm, that would be her Muscles."

"What?"

Carol blinked at him, tilting her head to the side as she tried to focus on his image swimming in front of her eyes. "What?"

"Nevermind," he murmured. He stood, still gripping her arm with one hand and searched the bar for her friend, muttering under his breath. "Yeah, I see her. She's locked lips with some guy across the bar. She looks about as trashed as you." He bent over and pressed his face close to hers, making her gasp softly. "Can you tell me your address?"

Carol smiled at him as she studied his blurry face. God he smelled nice and his breath was warm as it fanned her lips, smelling like peppermint candy. "Why? Are you gonna sleep with me?" She asked.

He shook his head firmly, "No. I'm gonna take you home before someone else decides to and you wake up in the morning regretting it."

She frowned, "You can't make decisions for me."

"I just did," he replied bitterly. He helped her to her feet and she felt his hands slide over her skirt. "No pockets?"

"What're you lookin' for?" She slurred.

"Your driver's license so I can get your address."

"It's in my boobs," Carol leaned forward seductively, but lost her balance and tumbled into his chest. He caught her easily and she could see him frowning down at her. He was very likely irritated with her and she couldn't really blame him. She was pretty irritated with herself for acting like this, but she couldn't seem to get it together. Maybe she _had_ had too many drinks. Crap.

Hot fingers slid into her top, dipping dangerously close to her breast and she held her breath. He muttered a string of curses and then she felt him remove the cards she had stuck into her bra for safe keeping. He glanced at the address and then grabbed her hand.

"Come on. Let's go," he ordered.

"Where we goin'?"

"I'm taking you home." His tone left no room for arguments and she blissfully let him lead her from the bar. She felt a sense of accomplishment at getting a man to go home with her even if she was drunker than she ever remembered being in her life. What the heck was in that Whiskey? Was he going to ravish her as soon as he got her into her condo? God, she sure hoped so. The feel of his hands on her was something she wasn't likely to forget anytime soon, drunk or not.

She had a vague thought that she didn't even know his name and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him when suddenly the pavement was rushing to meet her face. She braced for the impact, but it never came and then her world went blissfully dark.

...


	3. Chapter 3

...

Daryl glanced over at the woman passed out in the truck seat next to him for what felt like the hundredth time. He was pretty sure she was going to feel the effects of this hangover in the morning. He felt a slight pang of sympathy for her, but then he reminded himself that he didn't even know this woman and it wasn't his job to feel sorry for her.

Except he couldn't bring himself not to care, at least not a little bit. She looked so peaceful sprawled over his seat, her lips pursed outward and her breathing deep and steady. She had very nearly given him a heart attack in the parking lot when she had tripped over one of the slabs of concrete that separated the parking spaces. Luckily, he was used to moving fast because of boxing and he was able to grab her before she could eat the pavement. Somewhere in that process she had passed out and instead of just helping her to her feet, he had ended up carrying her cradled in his arms to his truck.

He glanced down at her license again, double checking the address just to be sure. The last thing he needed was to take her to the wrong place. She was cute, a hell of a lot more appealing than the women he usually attracted. There had been something so fresh in the way that she had acted, but being that she had been drunk he couldn't be sure if it was her natural state of being or not. He doubted that a doctor, especially one looking the way that she did, would ever be interested in an underground fighter. Very few women would ever be able to fit into his world.

And he hated that.

A part of him longed to stray from the illegal fighting and move up to the MMA fights. Those would mean less chances of being arrested and a much bigger payout. But it would also earn him a new level of respect and he could earn the money honestly instead of by bored businessmen who placed bets. Maybe one day soon he would run across the right person to get him in. It was all about who you knew in this world.

Daryl slowed the truck and squinted into the night to read the numbers on the mailbox. One more glance at the license told him that he had the right address. Now he just had to get her inside and he could rest soundly for the night. Except he knew that he wouldn't. As soon as he left here, he would be right back at that bar giving her friend a tongue lashing and making sure the other woman was safe as well.

Daryl eyed the condo as he pulled into the drive and cut the headlights. It seemed spacious enough from the outside, with plenty of trees around for shade and several flowerbeds by the front door. It wasn't overly flashy, but it was nicer than anything he had ever stayed in by far. He spared her a glance - Carol, by the name on her license and wondered if she had her keys hiding in that bra as well.

"Fuck," he muttered softly and leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. "What're you doing Daryl?"

Carol twitched and muttered something in her sleep, making him snap his head up and stare at her. Her lips were moving, but no more words were coming out and he assumed that she was dreaming. He hated to wake her up, but he wasn't about to go digging into her bra again while she was asleep. He wasn't that type of man...even if certain parts of him tried to suggest that he was.

Daryl reached over and gave her shoulder a small shake, "Carol," he whispered. "Carol, wake up."

She batted at his arm with her hand and tried to roll over, but he shook her again, a little harder this time and her eyes snapped open. She yawned and cast sleepy eyes at him. He hoped to God that she wouldn't freak out on him.

"Do you have keys to your house?" He asked her.

She seemed confused for a moment and she probably was mildly disoriented from the alcohol and then being in a strange vehicle with a man she hardly knew anything about. Daryl didn't know how people did shit like this...one night stands seemed like a kind of dangerous thing to do in this day and age.

"Flowerpot," Carol murmured and closed her eyes once more.

Daryl opened his truck door with a sigh and scanned the front doorstep. He really hoped that she hadn't hidden her key beneath one of the flowerpots that littered the steps. That was the first place that criminals would look and it wasn't safe at all. He lifted several pots before spotting the key taped to the bottom of one of them and he pulled it off to open the door.

"Woman's just askin' to be robbed," he griped under his breath. Once again, he knew that it wasn't his business, but dammit, he didn't want to see her hurt. Striding around to her side of the truck, he opened the door carefully and scooped her up into his arms once more. She was light as a feather and the parts of him that touched her naked skin were burning with desire. Gritting his teeth, he eased her inside of the house and used his boot to shut the door behind them.

Scanning the area, he headed down the hallway. Thankfully, one of the doors were open and upon inspection he decided that it looked like it might be her bedroom. He lay her down upon the blankets and removed her boots carefully, trying not to let his eyes drift over her smooth pale skin. Grabbing a quilt that was folded over the end of the bed, he shook it open and spread it over her. He spotted a trash can in the corner of the room and moved it over by the bed in case she woke up to hurl.

All of that said and done, he didn't have any other business there and he knew that he should go. What if she had a boyfriend and he came waltzing in there to see some strange man standing over his drunk girlfriend's bed? He let his fingertips trail over her light brown hair and slipped from the room. He left her license and house key on the kitchen counter. No way was he putting that back out there for someone to find. Locking the door, he pulled it shut behind him and rattled the knob for good measure. Now all he had to do was see what happened to Carol's so-called 'friend'.

...

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me," Daryl muttered as soon as he spotted the woman who had been with Carol. He shook his head and let out a sigh as he strolled across the bar, stopping in front of the woman.

"Hey brother, what you doin' back? Didn't I see you leave with a hot lil' number just a bit ago?" Merle cackled.

"It's not like that Merle. She was drunk and I just took her home is all," Daryl replied. He turned to the woman who was currently placing kisses all over Merle's throat. "You Carol's friend?"

The woman paused and then her eyes widened as she turned away from Merle and stepped into Daryl. "What did you do to my friend?" She demanded.

"Easy," Daryl took a step backwards, eyeing the woman speculatively. "Nothin' bad. Made sure she got home alright since her _friend_ abandoned her."

The woman winced and he watched her scan the bar as if she thought he wasn't telling the truth. She seemed to be okay with this knowledge at first, but then her eyes narrowed and she faced him once more. "Wait a second - how did you know where she lives?"

Daryl shrugged, "License."

Merle whistled, "You sure know how to pick 'em brother." He grinned and waggled his tongue at Daryl.

The woman groaned and rubbed her forehead softly, "She's gonna kill me. I'm such a bad friend because I left her again! What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"I-" Daryl began.

"You know what you need darlin'?" Merle drawled, breaking into Daryl's words. "Ya need to get laid."

Daryl shook his head, "Shut up, Merle."

"Alex likes hearin' me talk brother. Thinks my voice is sexy." He grinned.

So her name was Alex.

Alex and Carol.

Carol.

He almost groaned out loud at the thought of how soft she had been as he had lay her out upon her bed. He hadn't been with a woman in quite some time. His intense training and fight schedule didn't allow for much free time, not that he would have spent it dating. Daryl wasn't a very sociable person for the most part.

"How much you had to drink Merle?" Daryl questioned.

Merle's grin faded and his face was serious as he responded, "One shot an' two beers. I'm good an' yes, I'm not lettin' her drive like this. Got all intentions of takin' her home."

Daryl nodded. He had pretty much known that without asking. For as much of a dickhead as his brother could be at times, he wasn't one to use women and neither of them ever did anything without prior consent.

"It's a good thing I ain't some kind of murderer since I left with your friend an' you didn't even know it," Daryl said to Alex. She at least had the decency to blush. "How many drinks she have? She was pretty trashed."

Alex pursed her lips in thought, "Honestly? I don't really remember. We had already been sitting her drinking before we spotted you. I'm also not certain that she had anything to eat either. She hardly ever drinks so it's no wonder she was sloshed. Shit," she muttered. "Merle, can you drop me off there? I have a higher tolerance than she does, but I still don't think I'm fit to drive."

"Good call," Daryl muttered.

"Come on darlin'...your chariot awaits." Merle spun Alex around in a circle and she laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "I might even tell ya bedtime story on the way." Merle leaned over to whisper into her ear and she giggled.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "I'm out. Up at five for my run," he called to Merle.

"Ten-four brother. Gonna see this sexy woman home an' then I'll be around."

"Sounds good to me," Daryl said. He looked at the bar and briefly thought about ordering another drink, but then decided not to. Suddenly the whole concept of going to a bar and attempting a social life didn't seem so promising.

Or maybe it was because a certain blue-eyed doctor had already caught his eye.


	4. Chapter 4

Carol groaned and tried to bury her head further into the blankets as her body shook all over. Why was she so shaky? The movement made her feel queasy and she pushed further into the bed, trying her best to stop the movement.

"Carol?" Alex's voice finally penetrated her sleepy fog and Carol moaned. Unfortunately, Alex was nothing if not persistent. "Here, take these and drink up."

Carol finally found the strength to lift her head enough and stare painfully at her friend. Alex looked her own shade of rough, but Carol was certain that she looked far worse. Alex held out her hand and Carol accepted the Tylenol that she offered as well as the juice that she sipped gratefully.

"Thank you," Carol mumbled as Alex sat the half-empty glass onto the table beside the bed. She pulled her legs up towards her chest and attempted to sit up in the bed. Alex was staring at her with a quiet, yet apologetic expression and that's when the previous night's events came rushing back to her. Carol narrowed her eyes at Alex, pinning her friend with a glare. " _You_ ," Carol began accusingly. "You left me."

Alex's cheeks immediately bloomed with color and she looked down at her hands. "I'm so sorry Carol. I got distracted by some guy. It won't happen again."

"It better not!" Carol's voice rose and then she winced, pressing her fingertips to her temples lightly. She took several deep breaths before she said anything else. "What time did we get home?"

Alex cleared her throat and glanced off at the door almost as if she were contemplating how long it would take her to reach it to get away from the conversation. "I'm not sure what time you got here," Alex explained. "I think it was about an hour before I did."

It took Carol a few moments to process that information. Bits and pieces of the night were coming back to her. The hot guy at the bar..."Muscles" as she had called him in her mind. He had been a nice guy and really good looking. She remembered thinking she would try and coax him back to her place for...

"Oh my God," Carol groaned at the memory. "He brought me home, didn't he?"

Alex nodded glumly, "He did. I don't think anything happened though..."

"You don't _think_ or you don't _know_?" Carol cried. She couldn't possibly have had sex with a stranger and not remembered it? Could she? She could feel herself bordering on panic and she paused to inhale deeply. She was still dressed in the outfit that she had left the house in, minus her shoes. No way would they have had sex and then she had dressed back into the same clothes, right? She moaned pitifully. She wasn't ever drinking again.

"Listen," Alex said soothingly, "He was a really nice guy, Carol. The guy even came back to the bar to give me hell for letting you leave with him when we didn't know him. I also think he came to check on me, but I can't be sure. No one that nice would have taken advantage of you."

Carol felt the corner of her lip curve into a smile, "He gave you hell?" Alex frowned at Carol's smile. "Good. You deserve it."

"I suppose I do. I'm a shitty friend. Can you ever forgive me? I'll make you pancakes and bacon?"

At the mention of food, Carol's stomach began to churn and she scrambled out of the bed, rushing into the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Her day was starting out just peachy. She had met a supposedly nice guy who was actually hot, but she couldn't remember much of anything about the whole damn night. Now here she was puking her guts out. The worst part of it all was that she didn't even know the guy's name. Not that it mattered because he likely wouldn't be interested in someone who had been too drunk to remember anything about their first encounter. She wasn't sure if that was a curse or a blessing.

...

Daryl rounded the block, the steady thump of his feet against the sidewalk creating a soothing sort of rhythm for him to think. Which was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. Most times he enjoyed his morning runs for the simple reason that it gave him the opportunity to think about things and release any stress from the previous day. Except this morning he seemed to be trying to run _from_ his thoughts instead of trying to enjoy them.

All night long he had been thinking about her...the woman from the bar. This was unusual behavior for him...he wasn't one to give much thought to women. He loved women sure, but he just didn't have a lot of time for one in his life at the moment. Which really sucked for him especially now that he was giving it some thought. He scoffed at himself as he brushed his hair from his eyes, picking up the pace and really pushing his body.

Was he really considering trying to pursue some sort of relationship? How would that work for him exactly? The woman obviously had money...she had mentioned something about being a doctor, hadn't she? Yeah, she had. He hadn't forgotten any part of their conversation. He remembered her vibrant blue eyes and the way her auburn hair just barely grazed her shoulders. She definitely wasn't like the type of women that generally hung around the arena at the fights. Those types of women were usually only interested in the thrill of banging the winner of the night and nothing more.

And Carol lived in a condo for crying out loud. A fucking _condo._ The best thing that the apartment he shared with Merle had going for it was that it was clean...and that was only because Daryl cleaned it. His income would never reach high enough to compete with that of a doctor. That irritated him. The whole situation irritated him, truth be told. It only further cemented in his mind the need to get away from the illegal bullshit and into the bigger leagues.

A lot of the guys that regularly came around the fights had all told him that he had talent. He rarely lost a fight anymore and those he did were simply because he had allowed himself to get distracted for a second. Distraction in the ring was equal to death. Daryl had always had the ability to zone out everything around him and submerge himself in the moment. It was a skill he had fine tuned over the years.

Realizing that he was back at the apartment, he headed up the stairs and unlocked the door to the place he shared with his brother. It was still early so Merle was still asleep. Daryl enjoyed the peacefulness and strode straight for the shower, stripping off his clothing as he went. He stepped into the hot spray and let out a relaxed sigh. There were few things he enjoyed more in this world than a hot shower after a nice long run. The burn of his muscles as the hot water cascaded over them felt nothing short of Heaven.

Inevitably his thoughts drifted to Carol and he tipped his head back, letting the water trail down his neck. Grabbing up the bar of soap, he rubbed it under his arms and across his chest, trying to ignore the rush of blood between his legs. Even with his eyes closed he could still see her in his mind, the way that her eyes had crinkled when she laughed or the way she had babbled nervously.

One of his hands drifted down between his legs and he stroked the palm of his hand over his hardness. He rested his forearm against the shower tiles and let his forehead fall against it. Increasing his grip he began to stroke faster, urging closer to a release.

The bathroom door burst open and he grit his teeth together in frustration. "You're up fuckin' early again," Merle grumbled as he lifted the toilet seat.

Daryl stood up straight and almost stuck his head out of the shower curtain before he remembered what he was doing. The last time he had done that he had gotten more than an eyeful of his brother. Merle had a tendency to stumble out of his room naked to piss. Daryl was used to it by now, but that didn't mean he needed to see it more than he had to.

"Out runnin'. Somethin' you should be doing with me," Daryl replied after a moment.

"Should have woken me up asshole."

"Ain't your mama."

"Damn right you ain't. Thank fuck too." Merle paused and Daryl heard water running in the sink. He abandoned any ideas of continuing his fantasy from mere minutes ago and resigned himself to finishing his shower as quickly as possible. "We goin' out later? Got that fight tomorrow night," Merle commented.

Daryl sighed, "I know." They had a membership to the local gym that they made good use of. It was cheaper to use the equipment there than to buy their own although Daryl would have preferred his own. But there was no way he could fight without keeping in shape and that required a vigorous training schedule. "You seen who I'm up against?"

The guy he was up against tomorrow night was someone he had fought when he had first started and had lost. The guy was a beast of a man and so far he was undefeated. Daryl was pretty nervous about it even though he hated to admit it. Merle put so much faith into him winning that he hated to show much doubt. They depended on this money after all. Merle didn't fight as much anymore, instead choosing to set up more fights for Daryl, hanging around to back him up if needed.

"Yep. You got this brother. No doubts." Merle whipped back the shower curtain to glare at Daryl and drive his point across.

Daryl snatched the curtain back into place. "Stop that shit. Creepin' me the fuck out. Can't a guy shower in peace around here!"

Merle chuckled, "That's the problem brother! Not enough pussy in this place! Now them ladies last night," Merle groaned, acting as though he were in pain. "I could get behind that." Merle left the room, shutting the door soundly behind him.

And...just like that he was back to square one.

Carol.

Daryl groaned in sexual frustration. Damn his brother.

...


	5. Chapter 5

...

"So what are your plans tonight? Gonna lounge around in your pajamas all evening?"

Carol frowned into her phone, trying to ignore the fact that Alex had known exactly what she was doing. She _had_ been in her pajamas all day, but she hadn't felt like doing much. Once she had gotten over her massive headache from drinking and finally started to feel better it just hadn't seemed worth the effort to get dressed. She was perfectly content to just stay home all evening and never see another bar again, _ever._

"I'm not in my pajamas," Carol lied, trying to fake like she was at least being somewhat productive.

Alex chuckled, knowing full well that Carol was lying, but willing to play along for the moment. "If you say so babe. You forget that I know you though is all I'm sayin'...You should come out with me tonight and get out of the house."

Carol was already shaking her head before Alex even finished her sentence even though they couldn't see one another. "Nope. I'm good."

"Oh come on! It's a Saturday night, you deserve some fun. What about that guy from last night? He was hot...what was his name again?"

"I don't know," Carol moaned. "A guy I don't even know brought me home last night and I was too drunk to even care!"

Alex was quiet for several moments and Carol knew that her friend was feeling guilty. Normally she would have tried to make her feel better, but she needed Alex to understand the seriousness of the matter. What if the guy hadn't been a nice guy? She and Alex were supposed to stick together. After all, Alex was a lot better at holding her alcohol than Carol and she knew that. All the more reason Alex shouldn't have left Carol alone for so long...

"I'm so sorry, babe. If anything had happened to you..."

Carol sighed, "It didn't. I just need you to understand that it could have. You know I don't really drink."

"I know...I just. It's been so long and you've been kind of in a rut lately...I thought that might help loosen you up some. Then you met that guy and I was so excited for you! You seemed so happy in that moment."

"Did I?" Carol asked, her mind trying to conjure up images of the previous night. She wished that she could remember more of it. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's water under the bridge now, Alex. It just wasn't meant to be."

"Yeah...if you say so. Listen, I've got to go get ready. I'm meeting up with someone in just a bit. Call you later?"

Carol settled back into her couch, pulling one of her colored throws down on top of her. She grabbed the remote control, intending on ordering a sappy romance movie to watch and cry over. "Yep. I'll be here, wallowing in my pj's." She grinned at that statement.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to come with?"

"Positive," Carol replied. "I'm perfectly content right here on the couch. No man needed."

"Mhm." Alex didn't sound convinced. "You've been without sex for so long now that you're becoming delusional. Chat later, babe."

"Bye, have fun." Carol hung up the phone and sighed.

Alex was wrong. She didn't need a man in her life and she wasn't delusional. She still got plenty of orgasms from her vibrator whenever the urge hit. Sex was overrated.

...

"What's she doin' here?" Daryl asked Merle as he flexed his fingers while taking deep breaths to free his mind.

Everything about tonight felt off. He wasn't supposed to be here. This fight had been scheduled for tomorrow night, but earlier they had called to say it was being switched to tonight for security precautions. Every once in a while they liked to switch shit up just in case the cops got wind of a fight location. It hadn't happened to Daryl before tonight and he could honestly say he didn't like it. He didn't feel as though he had had sufficient time to prepare himself for this fight and that thought gnawed at the back of his mind.

Merle glanced back at the woman who stood a few feet behind him, giving them adequate space so that he could talk to Daryl. Daryl recognized her from the bar last night. She was the one Merle had been kissing and practically trying to strip naked in the bar. Seeing the woman had Daryl looking around for Carol and he hated himself for it.

Of course Carol wouldn't be here. She probably wanted nothing to do with him. He didn't even know why he was thinking about her, but seeing her friend had brought back images of her...eyes as blue as the ocean, curves that begged to be touched, and a smile that sent bolts of lightning to his nether regions. He really needed to get a grip.

"Don't worry 'bout her brother. We made plans earlier before I knew we was gonna have to be here. Told her she didn't have to come along, but she wanted to. She doesn't matter here though. Gotta keep your head in the game. This fucker's like a goddamn rock so ya gonna have to go in beneath the radar so to speak."

Daryl nodded, glancing back over his shoulder to the mammoth of a man waiting for him on the other side of the makeshift ring. Merle wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know, but he appreciated the words all the same. It made him feel as though Merle was really paying attention and that he cared about Daryl, more than just for the money he could potentially bring. Besides, Merle's words helped bring him back to focus.

"Think I got a shot at him this time?" His voice wavered just a stitch, betraying his feelings of nervousness.

Merle grabbed the back of Daryl's neck, his grip firm as he yanked Daryl's forehead so that it rested against his own. They locked eyes and Daryl absorbed every bit of strength that Merle was trying to send him.

"Listen to me brother," Merle said in a low tone, "ain't nothin' but a thing, this fight. You put down men bigger than you before so don't start psychin' yourself out. Everybody's got a weak spot, just gotta find his weakness an' use it to take him down. You got this," Merle insisted when Daryl didn't respond.

Daryl nodded again and pulled away as the man playing referee stepped to the front to gather the spectator's attention. He felt Merle thump him on the back a few times, his brother's own brand of affection. Daryl cracked his neck and stepped into the zone, eyeing his opponent while the referee said a few words. The man's name was Raoul, but most called him Bigfoot which was ironic because the man had big _everything_ , not just big feet.

The last time Daryl had gone against Raoul, he had lost miserably. He hadn't been prepared at all, but this time he hoped to win even though he didn't feel quite as prepared as he usually did. He refused to let those thoughts nag him though and focused his attention back onto the moment at hand. The ref stepped out of the picture and Daryl immediately went into his zone, pushing all thoughts as well as all people from his mind, but his opponent.

The two men danced around each other cautiously, both of them feeling the other out. Daryl watched Raoul's movements, studying him for any visible signs of weakness, any favoring of certain areas of his body. Raoul bounded forward unable to wait a moment longer to start, but Daryl anticipated the movement and ducked, delivering a punch to the gut as he whirled around the man. Unfortunately the punch barely seemed to faze Raoul and he cocked his head at Daryl, sneering at him. Daryl darted forward, throwing out a punch that just grazed Raoul's left shoulder as the man twisted his body to avoid the hit.

Raoul's fist connected with Daryl's chest, delivering two consecutively strong blows to the sternum that sent Daryl reeling backward by two steps. Feeling the burn, but unwilling to let it affect him, Daryl dove in, fists flying. He managed to get in three hits before Raoul overpowered him with a punch to the eye. Seeing spots, Daryl felt his eye begin to swell almost immediately. He remained focused in the fight though, consoling himself with the bruise that was already forming on Raoul's jaw.

He didn't know exactly how it happened, but one second he was fine and the next he was tripping over an unseen object on the floor beneath his feet. Raoul took the opportunity given to him and rained blows on Daryl. All Daryl could do was protect his face and try to dart back enough to get his edge back. Except Raoul never gave him that chance and the next thing Daryl knew he was staring at the floor face down with Raoul being declared the winner. He climbed shakily to his feet and wiped at his mouth, adrenaline surging through his bones. Merle was on him in an instant, the woman from the bar right next to him with wide, frightened eyes.

Merle pressed a towel to his face and Daryl winced at the sting. "Fuck! You're pourin' blood. Goddammit! What the hell happened in there?"

Daryl barely heard Merle as his brother fired rapid questions at him. His mind was spinning and he swayed on his feet slightly. Vaguely he heard the girl with Merle talking.

"Maybe we need to get him to a hospital," she suggested.

Daryl's arm flailed out blindly and he shook his head, "No! No hospitals! Can doctor myself," he muttered. He pulled the towel from his face and frowned at the blood that drenched it. Damn, he was bleeding a good bit. He probably needed stitches, but that was no big deal. He could manage those on his own, no need for a hospital. They would only ask a bunch of questions that he couldn't really answer.

"That cut on your forehead's deep brother. I think you're gonna need stitches," Merle commented.

Daryl was adamant, "No. Fuck no, Merle. Ya know I don't do hospitals."

Merle nodded solemnly, "Fine. Guess we'll be makin' a stop by the pharmacy on the way home." Merle draped his arm across Daryl's shoulders and began to steer him toward the door. Daryl did his best to walk in a straight line, his pride already a little wounded from losing the fight so badly especially after he had been doing so well lately.

"Wait!" Merle's woman grabbed Merle's arm, "I know someone who might be able to help!"

Merle paused for half of a second and Daryl knew what he would say before he said it. He knew what both of them were thinking and he wanted to protest, but at the same time he just didn't give a damn. He just wanted to lie down for a bit so that the room would stop spinning.

"Your little friend...the doctor?" Merle's voice rumbled by his ear. "Call her. Gonna need her help."

"Carol, yes. I'll call her. I know she'll help him."

Daryl groaned, but amidst the noise in the room he doubted that either of them heard him.


	6. Chapter 6

...

"This is fuckin' embarrassing," Daryl grumbled as he eyed himself in the bathroom mirror. The light shone down over his features, highlighting every bruise and drop of blood he had on him. Only his luck would have him seeing Carol like again...like _this_. Beat to shit. Go figure. He wanted to bite nails with aggravation.

"Keep that towel pressed up there 'til the doctor gets here," Merle instructed from the doorway.

Daryl scowled, "No shit." He glanced over Merle's shoulder to where Alex sat on the couch in the living room waiting for Carol to arrive. "You tell her not to say shit?"

Merle followed his gaze and nodded, "She knows. Cool your jets, brother."

Daryl rolled his eyes, something sarcastic on the tip of his tongue when there was a knock on the door. He sighed and resigned himself to sitting on the closed toilet lid while he waited. He may as well get it over with because apparently it was happening whether he wanted it to or not. Merle stepped away from the open doorway and Daryl heard voices... _her voice._ He listened to the soft cadence of it as it slowly drifted closer to where he was.

And then she was there.

He lifted his head and their eyes met, hers just as blue as he remembered. She was every bit as beautiful as she had been at the bar even dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She held a bag in one hand and he guessed that it contained medical supplies since she was here to stitch him back together. Alex whispered something to Carol and she nodded in return before they were left alone. Daryl struggled to appear relaxed, but he doubted that it was working.

"Hi." Her soft greeting nearly did him in and he managed a half-smile in return. "If you wanted to see me again, all you had to do was stop by," she said.

Daryl blinked and then he caught her attempt at humor. He chuckled, wishing that things could only be that easy. He cleared his throat, "Thought you might want to see my place this time," he responded dryly.

She snickered and placed her bag on the edge of the sink. He watched as she unzipped it, noting that it was covered in various animals and looked nothing like the black doctor bags he saw on TV. "Black?" He asked with a nod towards the bag.

A faint red tint bloomed in her cheeks as she followed his gaze. "I'm a pediatrician...the kids like it." She shrugged, "And maybe I like it too. Black is boring."

He smiled at her mindless chatter, noting how her eyes sparked with interest when she talked about her job. He hadn't known she worked with kids, but he could see her doing well at it in his mind. She had an easygoing manner about her that seemed it would draw people to her like a moth to a flame.

She put her hand on the towel that he still held to his forehead, her fingertips brushing against his own. He dropped his hand and she removed the towel, her eyes focusing in on his injury. He tried to read her expression to see if she was disgusted, but he really wasn't good when it came to that kind of thing with women. Nor had he really cared about any woman before until this one. There was something about Carol...

"This is going to need stitches," she remarked as she reached into her bag, her eyes still trained onto his forehead while she felt around inside with her fingers.

Daryl sighed, "Whatever you need to do."

"I know it's none of my business," she paused and chewed on her lip in thought, "but I think you should turn both of those men in for this."

Daryl frowned and then hissed when she began wiping at his forehead, cleaning it of the blood. "What men?"

She seemed confused and paused, "The two men that jumped you? Are you having memory loss?" She ran her fingers through his scalp as if searching for further head injuries. He grappled with his choice of words, her skimming fingers sending shivers down the base of his spine.

"Goddamn Merle," he whispered under his breath. "Nah, that's the worst of my injuries...no memory loss. And it wasn't two men, just one."

" _Oh_." She stopped her scan of his head and reached into her bag again. "I'm sorry. I could have sworn that your brother said something about two men."

"My brother's an idiot," Daryl clarified. "It was nothing. Just something that got out of hand." _Way out of hand._ He watched her gather a needle and the thread that she would need for stitches. Her fingers moved swift and sure as if she had been stitching up strange men on toilets for years.

"This might pinch some. I can give you some Ibuprofen for pain, but unfortunately I can't give you anything stronger than that. If you had gone to the emergency room..." She let her voice trail off as she tipped his head back with one hand so that she could see better.

"Ibuprofen is fine. And I don't have any insurance so I'd rather stay away from the emergency room if I can help it," he explained.

She was quiet for several minutes as she executed the first stitch and he gnawed slightly on the edge of his tongue. She paused after the first stitch as if she were expecting a bigger reaction, but he remained stoic. Her touch was soft and she stood so close that the front of her t-shirt brushed softly against his cheek. He caught a whiff of her perfume, something light, but tantalizing to the senses. He swallowed hard and rested his hands on his knees, fingers balled into fists.

"Almost done," she murmured.

"No hurry."

He closed his eyes and focused on the feel of her so close, but so far out of reach still. She finished in the next minute and did a few more things to the area before taking a step back, her blue eyes critical in their gaze.

"Those will have to come out in a little over a week," she explained as she gathered her supplies back into their places. "If you want, I can come back then and take them out for you."

A chance to see Carol again? He opened his mouth to readily agree, but then wondered if it was wise. Did he really want to drag this woman into this kind of life? What if she discovered what he did for a living? How would she react then?

"You know what, I can just refer you to a friend of mine. She can take them out for you at her office." Her tone was sharp and he knew in that instant that he had insulted her. Her movements were jerky, her cheeks red as she grabbed her bag and prepared to head out. Lucky for Daryl that he was quick because his hand shot out and closed over her arm, stopping her from leaving.

"Wait," he pleaded. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you weren't a good doctor or anything."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, dropping her bag back onto the counter. "It's not your fault. It's just..." She laughed dryly. "How can someone so smart feel so stupid?" She hissed as his eyebrows raised. "I want to apologize for throwing myself at you back at the bar...you clearly weren't interested and I misread the signals or...or maybe I am stupid. Actually, picking up men isn't really my thing. I'm much more content to just sit at home in my pajamas and watch movies, but Alex _insisted_ that I needed to get out. I practically threw myself at you and I'm sure it's all kinds of awkward for you..." He watched in baffled amusement as she babbled on, insistent that he wasn't interested in her for whatever reason. _How in the hell had she come to that conclusion?_

Daryl stood up, stopping her nervous chatter instantly as her words died off. "Who said I wasn't interested?"

He was suddenly aware of just how small their bathroom was as his broad shoulders filled in the extra gaps. Her small frame was pushed against the wall as she attempted to put a small amount of space between them. She licked her lips and her eyes slid to the empty living room. He had no idea where Merle and her friend had disappeared to, but at this moment he was glad they weren't around.

She fidgeted. "Well you took me home and then you left after I blatantly offered myself to you. I've never known a man to turn down sex with no strings attached."

He took a step closer to her, his clothing brushing against her own. " _You think I was gonna fuck you and you couldn't even walk straight_?" For some reason this annoyed him. He wasn't one of those assholes that took advantage of women. He _hated_ those types.

"I just-"

"And you're _not_ stupid. I'm just glad you didn't try an' throw yourself at the wrong type of asshole who might have done exactly what you wanted."

"Oh." She seemed stunned by his words and for a moment they just stood there at an impasse. Then her gorgeous blue eyes flicked up to his and he lost himself in the depths. "So you _are_ interested?"

Daryl's cock twitched. What exactly was she asking him? Was she asking about herself in general or sex? Because right now he felt like he was pretty damn interested in both aspects. Except he didn't want to _just_ have sex with Carol...he wanted to worship her from head...to toe. He was also pretty damn sure that just one time with her wouldn't be sufficient either.

"Hey, are you about done?" Alex's voice chimed out as she rounded the corner. Daryl took a quick step back from Carol only to bump into the sink where he tried for casual as Alex's eyes swept the scene.

Carol slowly let her eyes drift over to Alex and then she nodded, "I'm done."

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the living room then," Alex replied. She threw another glance at Daryl before leaving them alone once more.

Carol reached around Daryl and grabbed her bag. She pulled out several Ibuprofen and grabbed his hand, placing them into his palm. Her touch sent electricity soaring through his veins and he let his fingers close around the pills.

"I guess now is a stupid time to ask your name, right?" Carol blushed.

"It's Daryl."

She smiled and stepped toward the door before turning back around, "Well it's been a real pleasure, Daryl. If you decide you want me to take those stitches out for you then you know where to find me. Keep an eye on that stitch for any signs of redness or swelling...Enjoy your night," she said.

"Yes," he called out as soon as she stepped foot over the threshold.

She paused, "Yes?"

"The answer to your question...it's _yes_."

Alex was staring their way curiously, but Daryl didn't care. Recognition spread over Carol's face and she flashed him a broad grin as she left the room. Daryl remained where he was, perfectly content to stare after her. He hadn't one damn clue what he was doing, his head throbbed like a son of a bitch, but none of it mattered because he had a valid reason to see her again. Right now that was better than any pain medicine anyone could give him.

...


	7. Chapter 7

...

It was pathetic really.

Here it was Friday night and what was she doing? She was sitting on her couch eating homemade chocolate chip cookies while watching some sappy romance on Lifetime. It was supposed to comfort her, but instead all it was doing was reminding her of just how nonexistent her love life really was lately. This was stupid. She had never really cared about having someone else in her life before so why was she so miserable about it now?

_Daryl._

It had been a little over two weeks since she had seen or heard from him. She suspected he had already found someone else to take the stitches out because he hadn't contacted her. Not that she was counting or anything because he wasn't _required_ to contact her. It's just that after the way their last encounter had gone she had really thought that he might call her. Except he hadn't.

So here she was, sitting on her comfy couch, eating her chocolate chip cookies, alone. Such was her life. She even had on her newer pajamas, the ones she had bought on a whim, but hadn't even worn yet until tonight. They were a bit too sexy for someone who had no one to show them off to, but she had fallen in love with them when she had spotted them on the rack. Made of a red shimmery silk, the pajamas clung to her in ways that made her feel beautiful and feminine. The top was made like a tank and the bottoms were shorts that left little to the imagination. They felt good and super soft as they rubbed against her skin.

She bit into another cookie and sighed as the two actors on screen shared a romantic kiss. "Maybe I should get a dog," she murmured to herself.

But when would she have time to take care of a dog? Sometimes her work schedule called on her after hours, especially in the case of an emergency. During flu season she was hardly ever home it seemed, especially since her office hours were extended and almost everyone seemed to get sick at once. It was a grueling job, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.

The loud knock at her front door startled her from her thoughts and she almost knocked over her glass of milk in surprise. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was a little after eight at night. Who would be visiting her this late?

She pulled herself from the couch as the knock sounded again. Tiptoeing to the door, she picked up her baseball bat that she kept hidden near the door, wrapping her hands around it tightly. She unlocked the door, bat held ready to swing if necessary.

Carol nearly dropped the bat in surprise at the sight of Daryl standing on her doorstep. He seemed just as surprised to see her or maybe it was because she was holding a bat while dressed in red silk pajamas. He looked good enough to eat, most of his bruises fading to a lighter shade now, his stitches not seeming quite as pronounced. Not only did he seem in better health, but the way he was dressed had her whole body warming to a fiery heat. The sleeveless black muscle shirt he wore did exactly what God and its creator intended for it to do: it showcased his muscles beautifully. He shifted and she suddenly realized she hadn't said a thing since she had opened the door.

"Is this a bad time?" He asked cautiously.

"Oh, God. No, of course not! Come in!" She stepped back and held the door open wide for him to enter.

He did, but not before she caught the way his eyes swept over her pajamas, leaving a trail of heat over her already flushed skin. Suddenly her choice in bedtime attire seemed entirely too revealing and she tugged on her top self-consciously.

"I know it's late," he began softly, "I just...I was gonna get Merle to take the stitches out for me tonight, but he up and disappeared to God only knows where and the damn things are itchin' so bad it's drivin' me crazy."

Carol nodded, "Of course. I don't mind taking them out for you. I told you that I would after all." She beckoned for him to follow her as she led the way to her kitchen, switching on the bright overhead light as they entered the room. She motioned to the kitchen island and the small dinette table sitting in front of large bay windows in the corner. "Have a seat. I'm just gonna go get my things. Be right back," she murmured.

Carol flew down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her. She grabbed her big fluffy robe that hung behind her bedroom door and wrapped it around herself feeling a bit less exposed now. Grabbing up the materials she needed, she stopped at the bathroom to run her fingers through her short curls and spritz herself with her light perfumed spray. She hurried back to the kitchen to find him perched at the end of one of her bar stools, chewing on the skin of his fingers as he waited.

"Sorry about that," she said as she entered and set her things on the island.

"You changed," he commented. She nodded and tried to focus on the task at hand, but his presence was so demanding that she was finding it hard to do anything normal. "Why?"

Her head shot up, her deep blue eyes meeting his own. "It was chilly," she lied.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing in response and she breathed out a silent sigh of relief. After she washed her hands, she grabbed what she needed and stepped over to him. He spread his legs wide to allow her to step between them and she gulped at the sight. Faded blue jeans hugging long, fit, legs all the way down to his boots planted a few feet apart on her kitchen tiles had her mouth going dry. She ignored her nerves and stepped between him, bending forward to brush a lock of his hair away from the stitches. He was quiet as she worked, his breath occasionally fanning her throat as she leaned closer. At the last stitch he twitched slightly and she jumped at his movement, nearly knocking her own self off balance as she did so.

His hands immediately spanned her waist, hard fingers smoothing across the silk beneath her robe that had fallen open. Her breath caught and her eyes shifted down to his, their faces suddenly so close together that it was almost hard for her to breathe. She was steady on her feet now, but he still hadn't removed his hands and she didn't really want him to.

"It's almost eighty degrees out, but yet you said you're chilly," he commented softly.

Carol's face burned red, but she found she couldn't look away. She was most definitely _not_ cold. Her whole body was on fire actually. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable," she replied softly.

He seemed to mull that comment over carefully before he replied, "I like you."

"Oh."

_Oh?_ That was all she could say was, _oh_? The man just said he liked her yet she could only manage one single word. She could babble off whole paragraphs at the office while focusing on three different things at once, yet he said one thing and she instantly went dumb and mute. Great.

His hands fell away and she dragged her attention back to him. He seemed to withdraw from her slightly and she searched her brain for a way to bring him back. She placed tentative hands upon his shoulders, noting how hard they felt.

"I like you too."

His eyes snapped up to hers, "Yeah?" She nodded. He seemed to relax underneath her touch then.

"In fact," she went on, "I think I like you _too_ much."

One corner of his mouth lifted into a smile, but then it faded just as quickly. "There's somethin' you don't know about me," he said seriously.

She took a step back from him, her hands falling down to her sides. _Oh my God, he was a serial killer._ She knew it was ridiculous, but it was somehow the first thing to drift through her mind. She blamed it on the fact that she had watched too many Lifetime movies lately. Then the thought occurred to her that she didn't really want to know what he had to say...she was suddenly scared that it might change things between them. They weren't even together, but what if what he had to say ruined everything and she would never have a chance to get to know this man? He opened his mouth to speak and she placed two fingers over his lips before she could talk herself out of it. He seemed startled, his blue eyes darting up to hers in surprise.

She didn't give him a chance to speak as she surged forward, pressing her lips to his own. At first he didn't respond and she almost pulled away, but then his arms curled around her and she found herself tugged tight to his body, his lips kissing her back breathlessly. His tongue teased her closed mouth and she opened to allow him inside, moaning as sensation after sensation coursed through her body. It was like Heaven and Hell all in one and she never wanted it to end.

He crushed her more tightly to him and she wriggled against him until he boosted her up and onto his lap. She refused to tear herself away from the softness of his lips, but she kept getting tangled in her bulky robe until she finally shook her arms and let it fall to the floor behind her. He released a groan and his fingers tightened over her skin, but they never ventured further to explore.

They finally broke for air several minutes later and she pressed her lips together, noting the swollen feeling from being kissed. She realized she was still sitting in his lap, but he made no move to remove her and she didn't try to push away. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts and she remembered he had been about to tell her something important.

"I really should tell you-"

"Not now," she said quickly. " _Please_. You're obviously going to say something that might change everything and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. It's been a long day and I just need...I just need _this_. Kiss me again, Daryl. Please," she begged.

He studied her as if he were trying to decide whether or not she was serious. She kept her gaze steady, well aware of the bulge pressing against her from his jeans. He shifted her closer and then seemed to make his decision as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Fuck it. It can wait."

His lips covered hers once more and she was lost.

...


	8. Chapter 8

He was kissing her.

Jesus Christ, she tasted sweet. He couldn't believe he was actually kissing her. It hadn't been the reason he had come by, but he would be lying to himself if he said the action hadn't crossed his mind. He should have stopped her, made her listen as he told her that he was a fighter, but she had stopped him and he was powerless to resist her. Especially when she smelled so sweet. And she really smelled like Heaven, he thought as he broke free of the kiss and buried his face into the crook of her neck just breathing her in.

His brain kept sending him warning signals that he should stop this and tell her. It wasn't easy being involved with someone like him. He got hurt... _a lot_. Even when he won his fights, he would still be hurt sometimes. And this past time? Well, he hadn't gotten beaten that badly in a while. It was kind of embarrassing to be honest.

Carol's cool fingers slid underneath his tank, her nails grazing lightly against his belly. He sucked in a breath as she tugged on the material. Without a second thought he lifted his arms and she worked the shirt free of his body, tossing it to the ground behind her. His eyes blazed over her hungrily, but he knew he wouldn't take this too far tonight. He had to maintain self-control in this situation and most times he was good at that. But with her? With her it was tricky to say the least. She kept his thoughts scrambled at best.

He may not be able to have sex with her, but he knew that he had to taste her, just once. Grasping her by the ass, she gave a startled gasp as he lifted her up onto the kitchen island, putting her a little above him in height. Perfect. If only he could stop his hands from goddamn shaking then he might be able to see this through. He glanced up at her and the expression on her face damn near killed him. Her eyes were glazed, lips parted halfway as she stared at him with arousal written all over her. His body trembled.

He slid his palms up her smooth thighs, skirting his fingertips just under her silky pajamas. He was rewarded for his efforts when she sucked in a sharp breath. He knew that he would have a severe case of the blue balls by the time this night was over, but damn if it wasn't worth it. He just needed to be sure this was what she wanted first.

"You sure 'bout this Doc?"

Her eyes flashed and a deep flush spread over her skin at his nickname. She nodded, "Yes, positive."

He didn't reply, instead bending his head to rain small kisses all over any inch of exposed skin that he could find. Her hands rested on his shoulders, but once she started to relax they began to drift further down over his chest. Her touch felt so soft and soothing, like nothing he had ever experienced before. He took his time with her, not wanting to go too fast, but itching to take her over the edge with ecstasy. However, she surprised him when she began to grow more bold with her touch, her hands traveling over his body faster than his mind could keep up. He hadn't anticipated that.

Her fingers skirted the button of his jeans and he stepped back just a bit to keep her from going any further. He was regarded with a questioning look.

"What's wrong?"

"You take my pants off and this is gonna go a lot farther than I think you an' I might be ready for," Daryl replied.

"I'm not a child Daryl. I've had sex before and I don't see the problem," Carol scoffed.

He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips at her petulant expression. "I'm well aware of that. It's just...I like you an' I don't wanna fuck this up," he admitted.

She sat up straight, staring at him with her bright blue eyes and he was lost in the depths. "If that's what you want..."

Daryl ran a hand through his hair. It wasn't what he wanted, not by a long shot...but he was determined to do this right. They might both be wanting this now more than anything, but come morning would she regret it? He didn't know and honestly they both still didn't know very much about each other. He didn't want this to be just some one night stand...he wanted it to mean more. He only hoped that she felt the same way...

"I want nothin' more than to rip off all your clothes and take you up against this kitchen counter until your legs are shakin' so bad I have to hold you up," he growled. "But, I also don't want either of us to jump into this too quick. I wanna do it right, take ya on a date first or somethin'."

"And if I said I just wanted you to take me against this kitchen counter?" Daryl's mouth fell open slightly and Carol snickered, a smile breaking across her face. "I'm kidding. Of course I will go on a date with you. When?"

Daryl ran through his schedule in his head quickly. He had a fight this coming weekend and his week was pretty full trying to build himself back up to where he was before he got his ass handed to him. Damn. He would squeeze her in somewhere though; he would make it work somehow.

"When is good for you an' we'll go from there."

Carol bit her lip, "It depends on where we're going I guess. Wednesdays are usually pretty good days for me because the office closes at two."

Wednesday? Damn, that was a long way away. He could probably make that work though. He would spend the rest of the weekend training his ass off and take a little rest come Wednesday. Yeah, he could do that. "Wednesday is good," he replied, "I'll pick you up at four?"

Carol nodded, "Okay. Where are we going?"

He shook his head as he stepped away from the island and swiped his shirt from the floor, "Secret," he said cryptically. He pulled his shirt over his head, ignoring the ache from the bruises that were still fading. Slipping his arms around her waist, he lifted her down to the floor feeling a little awkward all of a sudden. "See you Wednesday then?" 

"Okay, see you then," Carol replied as she followed him to the door.

"Lock this behind me," he cautioned. "And for the love of God, find somewhere else to hide your spare key."

Her mouth dropped open and then she drew it back closed with an eye roll. "Yes sir," she mocked him.

He shook his head, his mouth drawing up into a smirk. Leaning forward he placed a kiss upon her cheek, letting his lips linger for a moment on her soft skin. She smiled and he waited until she shut the door, the lock clicking into place before he went to his truck. He didn't leave right away, but instead sat there for several moments to catch his breath. His body was still keyed up, but he could deal with that. It was nothing new. He let the truck idle for a moment as he watched lights flicker on and off as she traveled through the condo.

It had taken everything he had in him to stop them from going any further, but it was for the best. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself anyway. It was for the best, right? He would take her out somewhere nice on Wednesday and from there he would tell her about being a fighter. She deserved to know, but he was scared that she would judge him for it before she ever really got to know him good enough. He wouldn't be fighting in these underground fights forever. One day he would be a legal fighter...something to be proud of...a sport that would give him what he was worth instead of putting his ass on the line for what he was making now. It would happen...one day.

And if he was lucky, Carol might be there with him when it did. The thought made him smile and he finally put the truck in drive to pull away before she caught him still sitting outside like some kind of stalker.


	9. Chapter 9

"The fuck is goin' on with you brother? You're slippin'."

Daryl scowled and rubbed his jaw where Merle's punch had barely grazed him. They were sparring with one another, something they did frequently to try and stay in shape. Normally Daryl was more aware of his brother and most times could anticipate his moves before they happened, but today his mind was elsewhere. Because today was Wednesday.

_Wednesday._

He had been looking forward to taking Carol out ever since he had pulled his truck out of her driveway. The nights had left him restless as he thought of kissing her and the days had been long spent trying to focus on his routine. He figured he had done pretty well up until now by keeping himself from being distracted, but today it was shot to shit because she was all he could think about. He just hadn't mentioned anything to Merle yet.

"Nothin'. Let's go again and then I got someplace to be," Daryl replied as he retained his fighting stance.

Merle eyed him warily and Daryl could tell that his brother didn't believe him. That was fine though because Daryl hadn't expected him to. He just didn't feel like hearing Merle bitch to him about how he needed to focus on his training. Maybe he would focus more lately if he felt like he was actually training for a fight that meant something. These underground fights were getting old and he was itching to get into a real ring.

Merle shuffled around him, piercing Daryl with his deep blue eyes as if trying to see through his head to the thoughts in his brain. Daryl cleared his mind and let himself fall into his zone, his body seeming to move on its own accord. His movements were fluid and precise, ducking Merle's swings and throwing in a few of his own. At one point Merle locked eyes with him and nodded, grinning with approval. Daryl took the opportunity to arc his foot out, taking Merle's legs out from under him. Merle grunted as he found himself flat on his back, a scowl immediately marring his features.

Daryl bent over him with his hands resting on his knees and grinned. "All about the focus," he quipped.

Merle flashed his middle finger. "Fuck you, brother."

Daryl smirked, "No thanks, I'm savin' myself for a  _real_  woman, not just someone who acts like one." Daryl winked at Merle, goading him. Merle muttered under his breath and rolled to his side to get to his feet, but Daryl darted away. He grabbed his towel from the floor and wrapped it around his sweaty neck as he saluted his brother.

"Don't wait up," he called over his shoulder.

A string of muffled curses was his only reply and Daryl chuckled. Nothing was going to ruin his good mood tonight.

...

Everything was going wrong.

Carol had spent all morning running around the office like a person with three heads wishing she had fifteen arms. They were two staff members short, an occurrence that rarely happened and they were all paying dearly for it. The office was supposed to close at two and just like usual the door was locked by two, but they still had several patients remaining to be seen. Before Carol could even blink, she was glancing up at her office clock and freaking out because it was 4:30. Daryl was supposed to pick her up at her place at four.

_Oh God, she was so late!_  She rifled through her purse in search of her phone, her first instinct being to call him, but then she realized that she didn't have his number. She didn't even know if he had a phone. What if he thought she stood him up? Her pulse pounded as she made quick work of gathering her things together, shutting her office door behind her as she flew down the hallway.

"Didn't you have a date at four?" Alex called from the front desk as Carol breezed past.

"I'm late!" Carol cried in reply. She didn't wait for a response as she headed to her car.

The drive home seemed to take twice as long as normal with her being stopped by every red light possible along the way. She drummed her fingers against the wheel and tried to remain positive, but she felt so guilty. Their first date and she was already...she glanced at her dashboard clock.  _One hour late._

Swinging into her drive, she breathed out a sigh of relief when she spotted Daryl's truck sitting in the driveway. She grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car, the exhaustion of the day finally sinking in. She tried not to let it show because she really was excited for this afternoon and she had already kept him waiting for at least an hour depending on what time he had arrived.

Carol frowned as she stopped in front of his truck, not seeing his figure behind the wheel and a quick glance at her front doorstep showed no sign of him either. Rubbing her forehead in confusion, she started to head around back, but stopped when she saw his legs dangling off the tailgate of his truck. Taking several steps closer, her heart melted a little as he came into view.

Daryl was sprawled out on the bed of his truck, his hands tucked behind his head, long legs dangling from the tailgate as he slept soundly. Since he was asleep and unaware, Carol took her time drinking in the sight of him. He wore a crisp, short-sleeved, white tee, black jeans that hugged his thighs, and brown boots that just seemed to complete his rugged look. His hair was slightly disheveled, most likely from him shifting to get comfortable, but it fit him and made her smile. He was so different from anybody she had ever imagined coming into her life.

He was  _so_ much better.

As if he sensed someone nearby, he began to move and shift, his arms stretching above his head as he yawned. His eyes swept the area and stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing her. He sat up instantly, his expression one of slight embarrassment.

"Didn't mean to fall asleep. Haven't been sleeping good here lately," he explained.

She offered him a tired smile and shrugged. "It's okay. I'm envious...and also very, very, sorry that I'm late. The office was crazy because we were short two staff members." Carol rubbed her temples to punctuate that statement. He tilted his head to the side, studying her for several moments. "Just give me ten minutes and I can be ready to go," she offered.

He slid off of the tailgate, "Wait." Carol paused with her hand on the door, wondering if he had suddenly changed his mind or something. He shoved his hands in his pockets, "I can see that you're tired...hell, we're both tired," he chuckled. "Why don't we just stay in and watch a movie...order somethin' in?"

Oh God, he really  _was_  a gift sent from God. Nothing sounded better to her in that moment than planting her ass on the couch next to him and watching a movie. She didn't want him to feel obligated though, plus she had no idea if he had already made other arrangements.

"Are you sure? It won't take me long to change if you'd rather go out," she said.

He shook his head as he followed her inside of the house, "We can go out another time."

Carol nodded and then a smile played over her lips as she realized he had just implied there would be another date. "Alright then," she gestured to the kitchen, "Why don't you go pick a place to order some food? I'll eat anything as long as it doesn't have mushrooms." She didn't wait for a response as she hurried into her room to freshen up a bit. It crossed her mind that he always seemed to be catching her off guard every time they were together. First, it was the time Alex had called her to hurry over, then Daryl had shown up while she had been in her pajamas, and now he was seeing her in office attire and utterly exhausted.

Thumbing through her wardrobe she finally decided on a pair of leggings and a long flowing top that emphasized what little cleavage she was blessed with. She wished that she had time for a shower, but she didn't want to keep him waiting any more than she had already so she just gave herself a quick scrub at the sink. Finally satisfied that she looked decent enough, she found him browsing her collection of DVDs in the living room. He glanced over at her when she entered the room, his head swinging back a second time as his eyes drank her in.

"You look great," he said softly.

She blushed and shrugged off his compliment, "Thanks. Did you see a movie you wanted to watch? I can order one from Pay-Per-View as well if you want."

"How about this one?" He held up a copy of 'Top Gun'.

"That's one of my favorites. Gotta love Tom Cruise," she teased. "You sure you want to watch this one?"

He nodded, "It's one of my faves too. Love watchin' them fly the planes."

"There's planes in this?" Carol feigned shock and then laughed at his expression. "Just kidding." She stole the movie from his hands and slipped past him, stealing a swift breath when her back brushed against him. She put the movie in and they both took a seat on the couch, sitting close with their bodies lightly touching.

She tried to focus on the movie, but it was nearly impossible with this man sitting right beside her. Absently she rubbed her fingers through her hair then jumped in surprise when she felt his hands on her shoulders. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing when his fingers rubbed into her skin making her moan loudly. He chuckled at the sound.

"Oh my God," she breathed. "I was going to be polite and tell you that you didn't have to do this, but it's feeling way too good."

"You got a lot of tension in your shoulders, but mostly at your neck. I noticed you keep rubbing at it. Gotta work out the knots."

His voice smoothed over her as his fingers worked their magic, kneading her muscles through the fabric of her shirt with just the right amount of pressure. "You're so good at this," she remarked absently. "Is this what you do for a living?"

He paused and she sensed some hesitation. "Actually no, I-"

They both looked up as the doorbell rang signaling the arrival of their food. She moved to get it, but he beat her up, motioning for her to stay put. Daryl paid for the food, tipped the delivery guy, and came back with a large pizza box in his hands. Carol's stomach growled at the sight of her favorite food. She pulled the box from his hands and opened it, grabbing a slice from inside with her bare hands. She took a bite and moaned softly.

"This is  _so_  good."

"So you're a doctor, you like pizza, Tom Cruise, and you don't like mushrooms," Daryl commented.

"But you're forgetting one thing," she protested.

He raised a brow, "What?"

"I like you too."

His face grew flushed as he chewed his pizza, lost in thought. "You hardly know me."

"True, but I still know enough to know that I like you." She grinned. "So tell me all about you, Daryl. I want to know _everything._ "


	10. Chapter 10

Carol watched as Daryl rubbed his palms over his jeans. She could sense that there was something that he wanted to say to her and her mind was trying to conjure up every possibility of what it could be. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but she had a feeling her apprehension was showing.

Daryl let out a deep breath and sat back on the couch, "I'm a fighter."

Carol finished chewing her bite of pizza and studied him, working his admission over and over in her head.  _A fighter. Huh. That explained a lot._  She was still confused though. "Like a boxer or a wrestler?"

He blinked and a tinge of amusement crossed his features. "More like a boxer."

She wrinkled her nose at the thought. That explained why he had been beaten up, but why on earth hadn't he just gone to the doctor instead of calling her? She was just a pediatrician. Granted, she was able to doctor on him without any problems, but it was still weird that he had let her clean him up when she had still been like a stranger to him. Hell, she was still somewhat of a stranger. There was a lot they didn't know about one another. Clearly.

"Well that doesn't sound so bad...Why do I get the feeling you were hesitant to tell me?" She tried to choose her words carefully.

At he question, his blue eyes shifted around the room before landing on her once again. "The kind of fighting I do...it's illegal. People come from all over and place high stake bets on these fights. If cops were to get wind of it, things could get hairy. If I were to say anything to the wrong person, I could have a shitload of bad people after me," he explained.

Carol's eyes widened and suddenly she didn't want her pizza anymore. She set the rest of the slice inside of the box and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "What if you get hurt really bad? Is that why Alex called me and you didn't go to the emergency room? Did you have a fight that night?"

Daryl looked a little embarrassed at that, but he nodded slightly. "Merle lied to you. I lost my fight that night. I don't have insurance and being what I told you about these fights, I can't just waltz right into the emergency room looking beat up. They'll ask too many questions I can't answer." He sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I'm trying to get out of this, Carol. I don't want this life, but I do like to fight, just not illegally. I want to join the MMA league and do shit the right way, but right now we need the money so this is where I am. The reason that I hesitated to tell you was because I like you... _a lot_ and I didn't think you would want to be mixed up with someone like me." Daryl let out a whoosh of air all at once, almost as if he had just relieved some sort of huge pressure on his chest.

Carol studied him, but she still didn't see what the big deal was. It was a little nerve wracking to think that he was doing something that could really hurt him, but compared to the thoughts she had been thinking it wasn't so bad. She liked him a lot too and appreciated his need to tell her everything before they went any further with whatever it is that was developing between them. It didn't change the fact that she still liked him. Reaching forward, she placed her hand on top of his own causing him to glance at her in surprise.

"Daryl, I realize we still don't know each other that well, but I'm kind of shocked that you would think that. Just because you are doing what you need to do to survive and pay the bills doesn't make me look at you any less. I still see a kind man who is just trying to make something of his life. Yeah, it's scary for me to think that you might get really hurt doing this, but I wouldn't stop seeing you because of it."

He turned his hand over and their fingers automatically laced together, his thumb brushing over her skin in a gentle caress. "You are absolutely breathtaking...has anyone ever told you that before?" His voice was a low whisper that sent shivers through her body.

She blushed and fidgeted with her clothing using her free hand. "Not in so many words," she breathed in response.

Such an innocent and serious conversation had taken an unexpected turn. Carol could feel the underlying sexual tension between the two of them pulling her in again. Without thinking about what she was doing she leaned towards him, closing the gap between them. Her eyes fluttered closed and seconds later, his lips were on hers, soft and hot. He released her hand and tugged her closer. She went willingly, desperate to taste more of him ever since their last kiss. She melted into his strong arms and lost herself in the kiss. Part of her wanted to take this farther, but another more reasonable part knew that they shouldn't rush things.

It was extremely hard when she was so aroused though.

Finally they broke apart, but he didn't release her. Instead he rested his chin on the top of her head, his warm breath blowing over her hair gently as he caught his breath. She could feel his heart pounding where her head rested near his chest. It made her feel good to know that she obviously affected him as much as he did her.

"I better go," he mumbled, his voice sounding ragged.

"Now? It feels like you just got here." She yawned.

"Maybe just a few more minutes."

...

Daryl sighed and fought against waking up as his cell phone alarm chirped somewhere in the distance. He had slept good for once,  _great_ even and he couldn't remember the last time that had happened. Groaning at his cell phone's insistent intrusion on what could possibly be the greatest night's sleep of his life, Daryl reached out his hand to silence it. Except instead of finding his cell phone, he found himself with a handful of woman.  _Carol._

He blinked in slight confusion even as she began to stir. They were on her couch, the lamp still burning, half-empty pizza box still sitting out, and they had apparently fallen asleep together. With a guilty face he realized he had commandeered the only pillow on the couch and she was using his outstretched arm as a makeshift pillow. She looked so adorable that he just wanted to kiss her, but first he had to find his damn cell phone and silence the alarm.

Carol rolled over and he took the opportunity to slide his arm from beneath her so that he could move about a bit. He saw her reach out and then she was holding his phone, her eyes still closed as she swiped at the screen and held it up to her ear.

"Hello?" She mumbled.

Well, at least she had silenced the alarm. She frowned and only then did her eyes begin to blink open. He watched with amusement as she finally figured out that she wasn't holding her phone and that there had been no one on the line. Then her eyes slowly slid his direction and widened just a bit with surprise.

"Hi," she whispered.

His eyes danced over hers, "Hey."

"Looks like we fell asleep."

"Looks that way," he agreed.

"I assume this is yours." She handed his phone over and he checked for messages before sliding it into his pocket. "Do you have somewhere to be this morning?"

"I usually go runnin' in the mornings...helps me wake up and start the day," he explained.

She yawned and stretched, her shirt sliding up just enough so that a portion of her abdomen was exposed to his gaze. He chewed on his lip and willed himself to think of something else so that he wouldn't embarrass the both of them. Except he was already well on his way to making certain other parts of his anatomy well known this morning. So thinking quickly, he blurted out the next thing to come to mind so that she wouldn't have the time to notice.

"Want to come runnin' with me?"

" _Me_?"

He chuckled at her expression, "Yeah, you. Don't docs run to stay healthy and all that?"

She laughed outright, the sound stirring within him. "Not this doc...actually not quite a few of them that I know. I would only hold you back if I came along. I'm more of a fast trotter than a runner. Unless I'm being chased."

He leaned over and caught her lips by surprise, wrapping himself over her warmth. She returned the kiss and smiled when she finally pulled away.

"Please?"

Carol sighed and rolled her eyes with an amused expression. "Alright, fine. But, I'm warning you that you might have to carry me back."

"Might be surprised at how good you'll feel later."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll definitely feel something later, but I doubt it will be good."

"Then I guess I'll just owe you another massage then, huh?" His voice was low, laced with the desire that he felt.

She popped her lips together in thought. "I'll go and  _try_  to keep up with you, but in exchange I'll take you up on that offer for a massage later."

He grinned and pushed himself to his feet, extending out a hand to help her up.

"Deal."

...


	11. Chapter 11

Why had she agreed to go running with Daryl again? She couldn't really remember as they jogged along at a slow pace, her muscles already starting to protest even though they had barely gone two blocks. He kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as if he were expecting her to need a break. Maybe that's why she hadn't asked for one. Because he seemed to be expecting it and she wanted to prove him wrong.

Except she wasn't sure how much further she would be able to push herself before she  _had_  to stop or make herself look like a fool right there on the sidewalk. She envied him because he didn't seem to even be breaking a sweat. It definitely spoke volumes as to the amount of physical activity and training that he must put himself through. She almost wept in relief when he slowed to a stop at a stop sign, both of them taking a minute to rest as they waited for traffic to clear the little intersection.

"You good?"

She nodded as she ran her hand across her forehead, wiping the sweat onto her yoga pants. She really didn't trust herself to speak at the moment and he seemed appeased by her answer. He braced his arms against the post of the stop sign and stretched his legs and back out, giving her a full on view of his ass.  _And what a nice ass it was._  She sighed silently to herself as she watched the muscles on his arms flex with his movements. She couldn't help but think about how those arms would feel wrapped around her, her back pinned to the wall as he thrust into her repeatedly. She nearly bit into her lip so hard that she drew blood.

Before she could tear her eyes away he straightened and then gestured to the clear street before them. She fell into step beside him again, not at all surprised when her muscles screamed at her in protest. She would most surely regret this tomorrow. She wasn't usually so out of shape, but she had let things like exercise fall to the wayside lately.

"We can head back if you need to stop, you know."

Carol glanced over at him, but he still didn't look as though he had gotten in a proper workout. She wasn't about to let him show her up this early on. Maybe she could push herself at least one more block before collapsing into a heap onto the concrete beneath them.

"Let's keep going. I still have time before I need to go into the office," she breathed out.

His steps faltered a tiny bit, "Carol-"

She shook her head and waved her hand in the air to cut him off. "No, really. I'm fine."

He studied her for several moments before replying. "OK then."

"Alright," Carol agreed. She didn't miss the small smile that teased across his lips as they continued on.

...

"Oh my God,  _yes_...right there," Carol panted as Daryl smoothed his strong fingers across her sore calf muscles.

He glanced at her in amusement, clearly enjoying the moment. He had promised her this massage and he had all intentions to deliver. Besides he knew that she had pushed herself harder than normal this morning because of him and he felt a little guilty about that. Every time he had asked her if she wanted to quit she had shaken her head no, her determination inspiring. He knew she had to be about half dead so he had pretended that he was growing tired in order to get her back to her place before she killed herself.

He could run for miles and not give out. He had trained his body so often and so hard that he had awesome endurance. Fighting required him to maintain the ability to keep going when others wanted to give up. He liked not being winded as his opponent struggled for a second wind. Those were the moments that allowed him the advantage of gaining the win. And Daryl fought to win.

He wanted to get as many wins as possible under his belt before going into the professional ring. That was his dream and not winning just wasn't an option. Dixon's never quit. His loss last time had stung badly, but it had also reminded him that he wasn't invincible. He was a strong fighter and a damn near formidable opponent, but he could still lose a fight. It was good to be reminded of that every once in a while.

"Maybe you should think about quitting the fights and becoming a masseuse."

Daryl chuckled softly, "Not likely, but I'm glad you're enjoying it." He drew the tip of his finger down the instep of her foot and she groaned loudly in pleasure.

"Your hands have magical capabilities," she mused.

Immediately his thoughts went elsewhere at her comment. He imagined his hands sliding into those tight black pants she had on and slipping between her legs. He swallowed over a sudden dry throat. He tried to remind himself of why they were waiting...he wanted to take this slow, do things right with her. He just hadn't anticipated how damn hard that was going to be, especially if she kept making noises like that.

He watched as her head tipped back to expose the creamy white curve of her throat. He licked his dry lips as he imagined nibbling up the smooth column and claiming those lips that he had already tasted.

_Christ. He was so fucking hard._

His cell phone chose that precise moment to ring and he didn't know whether to be thankful for the interruption or annoyed. Shooting Carol an apologetic glance, he slid his phone free of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID -  _Merle_.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Where the hell are ya?" Merle's brash voice drifted through the line.

"Out," Daryl replied vaguely.

"Out  _where_? Thought we were meetin' at the gym this evening?"

 _Shit._  Daryl glanced at his watch and saw that it was growing late already. He had left her early this morning after their run so that she could get to work, but then he had dropped back by after she had gotten home to surprise her. It seemed that time was constantly slipping away from him where she was concerned though. Not that  _he_  minded, but he knew that his brother would be less than pleased.

"We are. I'm on the way now. See you in a bit." Daryl heard his brother start to reply, but he ended the call and slid the phone quickly back into his pocket.

Carol regarded him warily, "If you have somewhere you need to be..."

He sighed and pushed to his feet. "I forgot I told Merle that I would meet him at the gym this evening."

Her forehead crinkled in concern, "More working out? Don't you ever rest?"

Daryl blinked in surprise, not used to someone caring about him like that. It was actually kind of nice to have someone looking out for his well being. Before Carol, he hadn't really had any reason not to work out. He had just devoted all of his time to his training and fighting. After all, he had always believed that hard work paid off in the end.

"I rest. I rested just now, didn't I?"

Carol raised her brows. "I wouldn't really call that rest. You were massaging my calves and feet."

"I'm fine."

She nodded her head, but he could tell that she wasn't convinced. He didn't want to introduce her into the world that he fought in, but he knew that she didn't understand what it took to get to where he was today.

"Just be careful. The body can only take so much before it gets exhausted. Listen to your body," she cautioned.

"If I start to feel bad I know I good doc I can call."

She blushed and rolled her eyes, but he could see that she was flattered. He helped her to her feet and slid his hands around her waist, tucking their bodies in closely until they were touching. She closed her eyes and he lowered his head to kiss her.

Everything just seemed so natural when it came to Carol. Here it was less than a week of getting to know each other and it felt like months to him. To say that he was drawn to her would be an understatement. She was unlike any woman he had ever seen or wanted to get to know. She was so much better.

As was usual for their kisses, upon contact the intensity only grew stronger the longer they stayed connected. Carol let her tongue flirt with his and he groaned, trying to draw her in closer. She tasted of the strawberry ice cream they had shared after lunch. As much as he wanted to keep going though, he knew that if he didn't leave Merle would be calling him again. Reluctantly he pulled his lips from hers, delighted that she seemed to protest the action.

"I really gotta go," he murmured against her lips.

"Alright, I understand. I'm glad you came by...it was a nice surprise," she commented with a smile.

He cut right to the chase. "When are you free again?"

She thought about it for a few moments, "Sunday?"

His fight was Saturday night and if all went well he hopefully wouldn't be hurting too badly to see her on Sunday. Or hell, even if he was hurting badly he would still need to see her so that she could fix him up. It was decided.

"Sunday it is then."

...


	12. Chapter 12

"Don't start with me," Daryl said immediately upon entering the gym and seeing Merle waiting for him.

Merle huffed as Daryl strode past him to the locker rooms, following along behind him as he entered the room and began to change into workout clothes. He stood there against a row of lockers with his arms crossed and stared at his brother. Daryl knew that Merle was itching to say something and clearly he was pissed about Daryl being late to their workout. Daryl finished changing in record time and walked over to his brother who was blocking his exit.

"Gonna just stand there and stare at me or you got something to say?" Daryl challenged.

"Where were you?"

"Out," Daryl replied shortly. "Any more questions?"

Merle sucked his teeth in annoyance, "Out with that doctor woman?"

Daryl shook his head in disbelief. His brother was always riding him about not ever bringing any women home to "relieve some sexual tension" so he didn't understand why this was such a big deal to him. Just because he wasn't seeing a different woman every night like Merle was prone to didn't mean that he was getting into something that he couldn't handle.

"Don't see where that's any of your business."

"The fuck are you sayin'? Course it's my business! You been seein' her a good bit and that shit is gonna start messin' with your fights."

Daryl was adamantly shaking his head, "No, it's not. I like this woman and I'm not going to stop seeing her just because  _you_  don't think it's a good idea."

"What I tell you 'bout this shit, brother? You don't get involved too deeply with women because they'll fuck with your game. Pretty soon she's gonna be demanding you slow down or stop altogether. She won't be able to handle it if you get seriously hurt. We got a good thing goin' here and you don't need to let some rich bitch fuck it all up," Merle ranted.

Daryl felt his blood boil. How  _dare_  his brother talk about Carol that way? Without warning, Daryl balled his fist up and swung, connecting solidly with his brother's jaw. Merle's eyes widened in surprise and his jaw twitched as he covered the spot with one hand. His eyes were spitting fire, but Daryl's were darker than night as every cell in his body went into defensive mode over Carol. His brother would not destroy what little good Daryl had going in his life right now. It just wasn't happening.

" _We_ don't have a good thing going here, Merle.  _You_ have a good thing going here. You used to be up in that ring with me fighting, but now it seems you're only content to let me put  _my_ self on the line fight after fight while you get to help count the cash.  _I'm_  the one making sure the rent is getting paid. What the hell do you do?" Daryl was livid and he knew that his brother could see it written all over his face because Merle didn't respond for several minutes.

Daryl knew there was nothing that Merle could say because his brother knew he was right. Merle used to get into the ring and fight just as hard as Daryl did now, but for some reason his brother had stepped back. He seemed more content to help coach Daryl along, but even with that he was getting slack in some areas. Merle had gotten comfortable letting Daryl bring in the cash while he still got to go drink and fuck a different woman every other night. He doubted that Merle had even seen Carol's friend more than once or twice before dumping her like yesterday's news. His brother was good about shit like that. Merle never let anyone get too close to him. Daryl knew that it would inevitably be his downfall, but only Merle could help Merle now because Daryl was done trying.

He didn't even want to be here anymore. He was too pissed to stay and workout. "I'm out of here," Daryl muttered as he stepped over Merle who was leaning against the wall staring off into space blankly. He left the gym in such a hurry that he hadn't even bothered to change back into his regular clothing, but he wasn't turning around now. He climbed into his truck and knew exactly where he would go.

...

Carol settled down into the tub of hot water and let out a relaxing sigh. The heat soothed her sore muscles and the quiet was soothing to her soul. Daryl had barely been gone an hour and she missed him already. That was a sign that she was definitely getting attached to the man and at a rapid rate. It was scary yet exhilarating at the same time.

The fact that he was a fighter didn't worry her as much as she might have thought it would. It was scary of course, but she would never tell him what to do with his life. If being a fighter was what he wanted then she fully supported that. She did wish that he could get out of the illegal aspect of it and into something more fulfilling like he had talked about.

A part of her was curious as to what watching a fight was like. He hadn't asked her to come to any so she hadn't brought the subject up. She wasn't entirely sure that she would be able to sit through one anyhow. What if he got pulverized and she had to watch it? She cringed. She still couldn't help the curiosity. If he asked her to go watch him then she would do it for him even if it was hard to witness. The doctor in her wanted to advise him to try a sport less threatening to his body. She closed her eyes and let her body slide further into the water as she leaned her head back against the tiled wall.

The loud knock at the door had her eyes flying back open again and she frowned at the intrusion. She quickly stood up and wrapped a towel around her wet body, grabbing her robe from the hook on the back of the door and tying it closed around her as she headed to the door. The knock sounded again, but louder this time and she sped up her steps.

"Coming!" She yelled out. Rising up on her toes she peered out of the peephole, surprised to see Daryl standing on the other side of the door. Hadn't he just left? Was he done that quickly? She hurriedly unlocked the door and he slipped inside.

Immediately she could tell that something was wrong. He was dressed differently and there was a tension to his body that definitely hadn't been there when he had left her place no more than an hour ago. His black tank hugged his chest all the way to the black jogging pants that rode low on his hips. She tried not to let the vision he presented distract her too badly.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" The doctor in her kicked in and she let her eyes rove all over him to check for injuries.

He had turned away from her to pace the area, but upon her words he whirled around. He opened his mouth to speak, but then his eyes seemed to finally drink her in and he stopped. He slowly made his way over to her, his gaze eating her alive like a man starved for sustenance.

"Didn't mean to interrupt your shower," he said gruffly.

She glanced down at her robe that was made bulky by the towel underneath that was still wrapped around her. "I was taking a hot bath, but that doesn't matter. Are you alright?"

Instead of answering her his hand drifted out and brushed against the sash of her robe. She shivered as he deftly untied it, letting the garment fall open to reveal her towel clad form beneath. He visibly swallowed and she bit her lip as arousal raced through her body. Bravely she shrugged her shoulders and let the robe fall to the floor around her feet, leaving her in just the towel. His eyes darkened with an unmistakable heat that sent thrills straight through her.

She pushed every single thought from her mind except for this exciting man standing in front of her and worked her towel free next. His hands balled into fists that dangled by his sides, but his eyes never left her as she finally bared all of herself to him.

"Carol?" His voice came out hoarse and slightly unsure as his dark orbs met hers.

Pushing through this new form of bravery she stepped forward the two steps that separated them and let out a soft sigh as her body brushed against his. He closed his eyes as his breathing deepened.

"I need you," she whispered. "I can't wait anymore, Daryl."

"Christ," he growled even as his arms wrapped around her.

He boosted her up and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist as his lips crashed into hers. He left her breathless, giving and taking everything that she offered him. The heat between them rose to a feverish high that left her dizzy with desire. He whirled them around and paused as if he were unsure of which direction to take them in. He immediately led them in the direction of the couch with a determined expression.

"Kitchen," she muttered as her eyes flashed up to his.

His own darkened to black and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. Holding her tighter to his hard body, he led them to the kitchen where he immediately boosted her onto the counter, pushing things out of his way so that there were room. His mouth descended onto her neck and she let out a soft sigh of pleasure as he kissed a trail down her flushed skin.

"I want you," he murmured as his lips grazed over her heated flesh.

"Yes," Carol purred in response as she curled her hips up against him.

He let out a soft growl as his hand smoothed down her sides and across her hips. She bit down on her lip hard tasting blood as his warm body crushed against hers pinning her to the counter. Every part of him was hard and seemed to be radiating with an energy that she hadn't ever seen from him. It felt like heaven and she found herself laying backwards, sprawling out across the hard granite of the counter.

He wasted no time in letting his mouth fall to her stomach where she hitched in a breath, stomach concaving as lightening bolts of pleasure shot through her body. She was shamelessly wet, her arousal seeping out of her and she saw nothing but her desire to have Daryl inside of her at that very moment.

When he slipped one of his thick fingers inside of her she gasped out loud, the action making her tremble. He looked up at her in that moment and their eyes locked, something powerful passing between them. He was beautiful. The muscles in his neck were corded and his shoulders seemed to shake just slightly as if he were holding something back from her. She inched her legs open as much as the gap between them allowed and he shifted backward, getting the point she was trying to make.

"I don't have any condoms," he gasped out, his expression tortured.

She was on the pill so technically they were safe from pregnancy, but the doctor in her screamed that she knew better than to have unprotected sex when she still knew so little about him. Just because he was a great guy didn't mean that he couldn't have an STD or worse. The doctor in her told her that it was wrong. But the woman in her, the woman who hadn't had sex in  _so_  long...that woman didn't care.

"I'm on the pill."

Carol reached down and slipped her hand past the waistband of his black jogging pants and gripped him. He was hard already, his cock curved upwards and wet with his arousal. And he was big...bigger than she had expected or either it had truly been  _that_  long. Any concerns he may have had mere moments ago were lost as soon as her fingers wrapped around him and his head fell forward, hair brushing against her stomach as she began to stroke him.

" _Carol."_ His voice was rough, his warm breath puffing over her stomach making her insides coil with desire.

"Please," she whispered.

Daryl stepped back, her hand left with no choice but to fall back to her side as she watched him. He hooked his thumbs into his jogging pants and shoved, the thick material falling down and baring himself to her fully. She leaned upward on her elbows and drank him in. Locking eyes with her he wrenched his shirt up over his head, muscles quivering as it dropped to the floor somewhere behind him.

Then he was back, his mouth kissing her so gently she had to reign in her heart before she lost it completely. He trailed kisses down to her neck, his mouth resting for a fraction of a second over the pulse of her throat. She felt his cock brushing against her and he slowly pushed inside of her, both of them letting out a moan as their bodies joined together perfectly.

"Christ," he muttered viciously.

"Oh...my... God."

Her arms found their way around his neck as he began to thrust into her. Carol fought to keep her heartbeat steady even as her pulse tripled its beat. This wasn't her first time having sex, but it was most definitely the first time she had ever had sex like  _this_. He was so perfect, down to the way his trim hips brushed hers as they joined together, to the way sweat beaded across his brow when his dark swirling eyes focused onto hers.

Every breath, every touch of his lips and tongue, the coarseness of his hands as they slid against her sent her one step closer to the edge of abandon. Meeting his eyes once more she felt it again, that spark of emotion that passed between them, a fire that threatened to consume them both. As they toppled together over the edge she knew exactly what it was that she was feeling.

She was falling for Daryl...falling hard and that scared her.

...


	13. Chapter 13

...........

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous Dixon himself in the flesh?"

Daryl frowned at the sound of the voice. He didn't even have to look up to know who was talking to him. The slight  Daryl continued to wrap his hands with tape, content on ignoring the man for as long as possible. With any luck he would just go away and Daryl could carry on with his normal routine. 

Except nothing about his routine today was normal. He was here earlier than normal because he had stayed at Carol's place last night so he left when she was ready to head into the office for work. He had wanted to stay, but didn't want to push so when she had suggested he stay the night he had been relieved that she had brought it up. They had spent the whole night wrapped up in each other, just talking and being together. They didn't have anymore sex and Daryl was okay with that. He was content to just be with her because she was so unlike any woman he had ever met. She was a breath of fresh air and Daryl was desperately in need of his next breath. 

 "You must think you're some kind of king sitting in here on your throne and trying to ignore me, but I know you hear me." 

Daryl's lips curled into a sneer and he shook his head in disgust, "Fuck you, Martinez. I know your game, but I refuse to be played." Daryl cracked his neck as he cast a glance at the other man. Martinez was the only Hispanic fighter they had and he was a thorn in his ass as far as Daryl was concerned. He tried his best to ignore the man and hoped that he would take the hint and ust go away. The man was like Merle though when he had his sights set on something: relentless. 

"So you seen the lineup for this weekend then?" Martinez asked.

"I saw it, yeah." It was the first thing Daryl had looked at upon entering. He was scheduled to fight Martinez this weekend. That had surprised him because he hadn't ever been paired against the other man before. Martinez usually preferred to be paired with those smaller than him so that his fights were made easier. The man was a sore loser if Daryl had ever seen one. 

He felt Martinez walk closely behind him, but he refused to turn around although he was aware of the other man's movements at all times. He forced his body to appear relaxed, but the way his blood was pumping through his veins made him anything but. It was obvious to him that the man had some sort of secret angle he was trying to work, but Daryl wasn't having it. He would figure out what Martinez's deal was sooner or later. 

"So then you're prepared to get your ass handed to you, Dixon?" Martinez spoke softly by his ear. 

Daryl barked out a laugh that surprised them both. "Seriously? That's the best you got? I'm gonna let that slide because this will be our first time in the ring together, but you should know something." Daryl paused for effect, knowing it was all about the impression just as much as the fight. You wanted to psyche out your opponent into second guessing their fighting skills. Daryl turned around until he faced Martinez and he smirked softly, matching the other man's expression. "I don't hold back. You step into that ring and you're mine. Whatever issues we have outside of the ring don't enter the ring, but trust and believe me when I say that I forget nothing." 

There was a slight twitch to Martinez's smirk that Daryl caught before he recovered himself quickly. "You know, I admire you Dixon," Martinez began and Daryl scoffed with annoyance. "I do," Martinez insisted, "But I also know you think that you know everything there is about this sport. Except there's one thing you don't know. I'm not the threat here, but you're too caught up into everything to notice what's going on. The real threat is a lot closer to you than you think and he's going to hurt you vato. Heed my words and open your eyes," Martinez hissed. 

Daryl's expression faltered at Martinez's words and he wrinkled his brow in confusion. It was possible that the man was completely full of shit, but for some reason Daryl was inclined to believe him this time. Everything about the man had screamed that he was being brutally honest even though he knew it was likely that Daryl wouldn't believe him. In fact, Martinez was more than likely hoping that Daryl wouldn't believe him. 

Daryl's hard blue eyes followed Martinez's broad shouldered back as he exited the locker room. He stood there for several minutes, flexing his hands back and forth as he mulled over the words of warning. Daryl had no idea what he was referring to or who would be out to hurt him that was close to him. Not many people were close to him and Daryl liked it that way for this reason alone. 

The only question now was what in the hell was going on?

............

 

"Oh my, I know that face," Alex chirped as Carol breezed into the office, coffee cup in hand. 

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Carol lied as she made a beeline for her office. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough this morning as her coffee hadn't quite kicked in yet and Alex was dead on her heels. 

"You had sex!" Alex hissed as soon as the door was shut behind her. 

Carol raised her brows and gestured for Alex to be quiet. "Are you trying to tell the whole office? Keep your voice down." 

Truth be told, she simply wasn't up for Alex's antics and knowing stares this morning. Things between her and Alex had been different the past month or so. They had been best friends at one time sure, but somewhere along the way things had changed between them. She was trying to keep things on a polite yet distant level because they worked together and the last thing she needed was drama at the office. She kept thinking about how Alex had abandoned her that night at the bar. True, Carol had met Daryl that night, but Alex hadn't known Daryl hadn't been dangerous. She could have ended up a murder victim for all her friend had known. It gnawed at the back of her mind. 

"I have a lot of work to do this morning, Alex. Can we chat later?" Carol switched on her laptop and sipped her coffee while it loaded. She knew she had a pretty full schedule today and she was glad for it. It would give her less time to think about sexy fighters with roaming hands and a voice that could melt butter. She smiled as she lost herself in the memories for a moment. 

"Yeah, sure. That's fine. I've got to get back up front anyway. We've got a new girl today, a temp filling in for Amanda while she's out with the flu." Alex's tone was a bit cooler now and Carol winced, but didn't try and smooth things over. She didn't have time for the dramatics because she had sick patients to help. 

"Wait - who's the temp?" Carol asked as she clicked several things on her computer. 

"I don't know. Some girl named Andrea. She came highly recommended, but you know how reliable temps are. She's probably some airhead who will be more of a pain in the ass than a help." Alex huffed haughtily and Carol simply stared in wonder at her retreating back as she left her office. Apparently she had offended her, but right now Carol could actually care less. She just hoped that Andrea wasn't even close to what Alex suggested she might be. If so then it was going to be a long day...

................

"Hey there, it's okay honey," Carol crooned to the little boy who had cowered as soon as she entered the examination room. He was only four and due for his routine shots along with the standard checkup. Carol dreaded these visits because she hated how much the shots tended to hurt the kids. Usually kids only came into the office when they were sick or in need of shots and for that reason alone, doctors were branded with a bad reputation from early on. 

The little boy clung to his mother who tried desperately to soothe him to no avail. Carol smiled at her in sympathy as she scanned his chart. "Jonathan, is it?" The little boy sniffed and glanced in her direction. Carol pulled out a tiny pen from her pocket that had a light at the end and waved it in front of him. "See this Jonathan? It's like a really tiny flashlight that allows me to see things that normal people can't see," Carol bluffed. "It's a magic light." She shrugged like it was no big deal, but a glance out of the corner of her eye told her that she had his attention. She smiled to herself as she walked closer to the examination table and leaned her hip against it. "I don't do this for everyone, but I kinda like you Jonathan. Want to hold it?" 

Jonathan hesitated, looking once at his mother who nodded in encouragement and then back to Carol with apprehension. Carol simply waited, knowing that he would come around. The temptation was too great and he slowly inched away from his mother and cautiously grabbed onto the light. Carol smiled at him as if they shared some monumental secret as he shone the tiny light onto the wall. Jonathan giggled as he swung the light around and it flashed into Carol's eyes. She quickly shielded her eyes with her hands as she faked a moan. Jonathan giggled as he swung the light towards the wall. 

"I'm gonna take this next gadget and look into your ears to see how much magic you have inside of you. Can I do that Jonathan?" 

Jonathan thought about that for a moment and then he nodded. His attention immediately went back to the light and Carol winked at his relieved mother. 

"I think you and I are going to be good friends Jonathan," Carol murmured with a smile as she went about his checkup.

...........

 


	14. Chapter 14

................

Daryl was having an off day. He could feel it in his bones and the way that his mind kept replaying Martinez's words over and over. He swiped up his bottle of water and took a long drink while he took a break from the punching bag. He hadn't even worked up a sweat and that meant he wasn't focusing properly. 

"Well, well, look who finally brought their ass in to train?" Merle drawled as he strolled over to lean against the wall where Daryl was.

"Shut up, Merle. Not in the mood," Daryl warned.

Merle sucked his teeth as his eyes scanned the room before coming back full circle to land on Daryl. "You need to drop this chick brother."

Daryl swallowed the last drop of his water with a satisfying sigh and resisted the urge to crush the empty bottle in his hands. He cut his eyes at Merle and pondered the possibility that he might be who Martinez was referring to earlier. Would his brother intentionally hurt him though? Daryl was hard pressed to believe that. Merle was an asshole, but his brother had never done him wrong. Well except for the time he had told some chick that Daryl had cancer and wanted to have sex as his last dying wish. Or then there was the time that Merle had hidden the truck keys, letting Daryl search for them for over an hour before he produced them from his pocket. Daryl also remembered the time he had come home to find Merle fucking some girl across the kitchen table. He had refused to eat at that table ever since then. But despite Merle's past indiscretions, why would he mess up what they had going here? 

"How come you don't fight anymore, Merle?" 

Merle's eyes flashed with surprise and Daryl simply waited him out, curious if he would answer. It wasn't the first time he had asked, but Merle had simply shrugged him off before. Daryl ignored it because he was busy doing other things at the time, but he wasn't busy right at this moment and he wanted to know. 

Merle shrugged, "You and I both know I ain't a fighter, brother. That's more your thing an' you do well at it."

"So if something was bothering you - something between us...then you would tell me, right?" 

"You implyin' something?" Merle asked with narrowed eyes. 

Daryl shook his head nonchalantly. "Just asking a question is all." It was more than that though, but Daryl wasn't about to admit that to his brother. Something was nagging at him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was there regardless. 

He didn't want to think about his brother possibly being out to sabotage him, but Martinez's words just wouldn't leave him alone. It bugged him to no end that Merle was holding something back from him. He could see it in his brother's eyes and that really bothered him because apparently Merle was going to pretend like everything was perfectly fine. For as long as Daryl could remember, Merle had always been straightforward with him. Well, except for the times when Merle had done something really bad and tried to casually sweep it under the rug...Or the times when Merle had gone out and gotten high without bothering to tell him about it until landing himself in a jail cell overnight. 

He could feel Merle studying him, but Daryl refused to meet his eyes right now. "You believe your own blood is out to do ya in, brother? Not trustin' me anymore? Seems to me that this new little woman in your life is stirrin' up problems were there weren't any before. I don't like it," Merle said bitterly. 

"Careful, Merle. We both know how this ended the last time that you brought up Carol." Daryl lifted his head and finally met his brother's twin blue eyes mirrored back at him. He wanted his brother to know that he was serious. "She's in my life now, for as long as she wants to be there...I suggest you get used to it."

Merle's eyes widened imperceptibly, but then he smirked with his usual style. "And if I don't?" 

What the hell was Merle's problem with Carol? Didn't his brother understand that Carol had nothing to do with his changed attitude here? She was the best thing to happen to him in a long time and no way in hell was he about to give that up. He would sooner cut off his punching arm than let her go. He wouldn't even think twice about it in fact. The realization that he cared so deeply for her so soon was startling. He hadn't even known that he felt so strongly about her. 

He gave Merle's question a good amount of thought in his head. His brother wouldn't like his answer, but that was too bad. How many times had Merle put a fly-by-night piece of ass before Daryl? Too many times to count. 

"It doesn't matter if you do or don't," Daryl said softly. He kept his tone low, but firm. "She's here to stay so don't make me choose between you both...Because you won't like my choice." With those parting words, Daryl brushed past a stunned Merle and began to practice his swing. 

.................

"Wow, what a day!" 

Carol smiled at Andrea, impressed with the temp's ability to work under extreme stress. The day had only gotten busier as time wore on and at one point Carol didn't think it was ever going to end. They had just locked the door, some of the employees having just left for the day. Alex had been one of them to slip out, barely sparing Carol a parting glance as she did so. Carol felt a twinge of guilt, but quickly pushed it down. She knew she had hurt Alex's feelings, but Carol felt like she had every right to be peeved with her friend. If she could even call Alex a friend anymore. 

"You don't have to stick around," Carol said. "I know you're tired." 

Andrea waved her comment away, "Of course I'm tired, but I'm not leaving until you're done. You don't need to be here alone. Besides," Andrea gestured to some papers lying on the front desk, "I've still got to file these." 

Carol gave her a grateful smile. "You did great today by the way. I'm really impressed. The temps we usually get are young girls with bubbly personalities, but not a bit of common sense." 

"Well, no wonder I've been getting the stink eye all day. I fit that description to a tee. Well, except for the young part. Although...I don't really consider myself old either. Maybe middle-aged?" Andrea wrinkled her nose in disgust. "God, that sounds worse." 

"Who's been giving you the stink eye?" 

Andrea shook her head and focused on the papers in front of her. "Oh, no. Not answering that. Ignore my big mouth. The last thing I want to do is start gossip within the office."

Carol stared at her for a moment longer as she gnawed on the tip of her tongue. She resisted the urge to question Andrea further, but she knew that she really didn't have to. It was pretty clear who had been giving Andrea sour looks all day.  _Alex._ Carol sighed in resignation. If she didn't figure out a way to fix that relationship then it was going to make for some pretty awkward days. 

Suddenly she just wanted to be alone, to bury herself in the leftover paperwork and forget everything from earlier. Maybe she would turn on the small radio in her office, kick off her shoes, and prop her feet up while she worked. At least she wouldn't have to worry about any interruptions. She opened her mouth to tell Andrea to just leave the paperwork until morning, but they were interrupted by a knock at the entrance door. Carol frowned as she headed over to the frosted glass doors and tried to peer through the glass to no avail. 

"Carol?" Daryl's voice traveled through the glass and she let her shoulders sag in relief at the sound of his rough voice.

Stepping back a notch, she let out a gasp of surprise when she bumped into Andrea. Turning her head, Carol tried to stifle a giggle. Andrea was standing just behind her with a letter opener clenched in the palm of her hand. Seeing Carol relax, Andrea lowered the makeshift weapon and gave her an apologetic shrug. 

"Can't be too careful these days," she mumbled with a smile. "Just gonna go stick these back where they belong..."

Carol shook her head as she opened the door and drank in the sight that stood before her. It was still hard to believe that she had had sex with the man in the doorway of her office. He looked every bit of delicious in a pair of sweat pants and a white t-shirt that melded onto his chest. It took her a moment of simply standing there and licking her lips once before she seemed to snap out of it and realize that she hadn't moved aside to let him in. A lazy smile passed over his lips as she cleared her throat and stepped aside. 

"What are you doing here?" Carol asked. Fearing how it sounded she quickly followed up with, "Not that I mind of course. I'm just pleasantly surprised." 

"I stopped by your house and you weren't home yet. It was getting pretty late so I thought I would swing by...make sure everything was okay. I, uh, I messed up, huh?" 

Carol blinked as she tried to process his words. He had stopped by to check on her because he was worried? Her heart nearly melted until she realized that he was beating himself up over it. 

"No," she blurted out. "That's incredibly sweet of you. Today was a madhouse and I'm just now getting a moment to breathe." 

He nodded as he followed her into the office, his fingers casually brushing against her own, causing sparks of fire to travel through her body. He stopped abruptly upon seeing Andrea standing at the front desk. 

"I didn't know anyone else was in here," he whispered. "Should I go?" 

"Of course not. You're not bothering anything. Come on," Carol brazenly grabbed hold of his hand and tugged him along until she stopped at the desk where Andrea finally looked up. "Andrea this is Daryl...Daryl this is Andrea," Carol explained.

Andrea's eyes widened to saucers as she took in Daryl standing on the other side of the counter. Carol wanted to grin triumphantly at the fact that Daryl had that affect on women and he didn't even seem to know it. Andrea let her gaze skim over their hands still clasped together and then sweep over Daryl's body before sliding guiltily back to the papers in her hand. She fanned them lightly as her cheeks bloomed red. 

"Hey," Daryl offered with a nod in her direction. 

"Hi," Andrea squeaked. She let her gaze shift to Carol's amused expression. "Well I can see that you two probably want some time to yourself so I'm just going to save these last few papers for in the morning. I'll make sure to arrive a few minutes early to take care of them." 

"You don't have to rush off," Carol protested.

Andrea shook her head. "No, it's fine. Trust me. If I had someone like _him_ -" She let her eyes trail Daryl again. "waiting for _me_ , then I definitely wouldn't want someone like myself hanging around. Andrea picked up her purse and flashed another smile in their direction. She strolled past, pausing once to lean near Carol's ear. Keeping her voice soft, she whispered, "Word of advice - those desk chairs we use here are very sturdy. Strong enough for two." As Carol's ears burned red, Andrea gave a little wave and disappeared out of the door before either of them could so much as wave back. 

Carol slid her eyes in Daryl's direction and saw him scratching his very red neck with one hand while he stared straight ahead through her open office door. It took her a minute to figure out what he was staring at until she shifted and saw her office chair. It became very clear then. 

"So I guess you heard all that?" Carol asked nonchalantly. 

It took Daryl a minute, but he finally nodded. "Every bit."

.............


	15. Chapter 15

..........

Daryl tried hard to ignore the office chair that seemed to glow like a beacon under the fluorescent lights as he followed Carol inside of her office. She made a move to sit in the chair, but then seemed to second guess her decision and stood instead. He watched as a faint red blush crept up her neck and bloomed onto her cheeks. 

"Are you sure I'm not keeping you from anything?" Daryl gestured to her desk. 

"No. Of course not." She fidgeted with the stethoscope that hung around her neck and he couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked in that moment. 

If there was ever a time for Daryl to have a nurse fantasy this was it. Although Carol wasn't a nurse and she wasn't dressed provocatively, he couldn't help the images that flooded his brain. He pictured her in a skimpy nurse's outfit with tall heels and nothing underneath. Never in his life had he had this type of fantasy, but in that moment it was the only thing he could think about. He just knew it was going to get him in trouble as evidenced by the blood rushing between his legs. 

"How was your day?" Carol asked.

Her question caught him off guard and with it came thoughts of Merle and the fact that he was starting to mistrust his brother. He didn't like questioning him because Merle was blood, and family wasn't supposed to do you wrong. But even Daryl knew that was a lie because blood didn't always matter. Family didn't equate trust and loyalty even he knew that. And that scared him. 

The touch of Carol's hand upon his shoulder brought him back to reality and the fact that he hadn't answered her question. She was staring at him with a look of concern upon her face almost as if she could read everything that he had been thinking. He scrubbed his hands through his hair making it stick up in what he was sure made him look half-crazed. 

"It sucked." Well that was getting to the point, judging by the surprised expression on Carol's face. Without second guessing his actions, Daryl pushed to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. He breathed in the scent of her hair and slowly released his breath, "But it's getting better now."

She made a low noise in her throat and it was at that moment that Daryl realized he had inadvertently pinned her against her desk. Meeting her eyes, he was greeted with a heat that reflected back at him two-fold. Ravishing her in her office at work hadn't exactly been on the agenda when he had decided to stop by, but he kept replaying that chick Andrea's words over and over in his head. 

"Why?" Carol's question caught him off guard and he simply stared at her in confusion. 

"Why what?" 

"Why is it getting better?" Her voice had dropped to a whisper as her eyes fixated onto his lips.

Daryl removed his right hand from her waist and cupped her face. He drug his thumb across her cheek to her lip where he paused for a second before tracing its plump curve. Her breath hitched and even though he hadn't ever seduced a female in his life, he wanted to seduce Carol. He wanted her to moan his name as he took her over the edge and back again. He wanted her spread out before him, just for him...he wanted to see if that blonde chick was right about the chairs. 

"Because," Daryl whispered back as he moved closer to her lips, his breath skirting across the sensitive skin. 

Carol's eyes grew heavy, pupils dilated with desire as she arched onto her toes toward him. He lost all train of thought the moment her lips collided with his own. He groaned as she immediately opened to him, her tongue sliding into his mouth. She tasted like peppermint candy and he wanted to savor each and every drop. Unaware of his actions, he inched her backward until she slid onto the desk her thighs pressed up against his hips. He never lost contact with her mouth, needing to feel her connected to him. Where she moved his lips followed until they found themselves lying atop her desk, random papers floating towards the floor as pens rolled and dropped off the edge. 

"Daryl," Carol broke the kiss, her lips swollen and looking every bit as delicious as Daryl knew that they tasted. 

He blinked, realizing their position and starting to feel a little self-conscious about the situation. Shit. This was her job...people worked here and here he was about to take her on top of that desk. Glancing up, he took in the empty chair in front of the desk where patients probably sat thousands of times. What the hell was he doing? He placed his palms on the desk and pushed up away from her body. Her hands followed, grasping at his shoulders to stop his retreat. 

"Carol..."

"No. Don't you dare stop... _please_."

"This is your desk." _Like she didn't know that. Real smooth, Dixon._ He shook his head at himself. 

"I know and I want you to have sex with me...on top of it." 

As soon as the words left her mouth he nearly whimpered. Fighting against his own thoughts, he shoved up her shirt and bra, his mouth latching onto one of her nipples. She let out a long drawn out moan that sent lightning bolts of desire straight to his groin. Snaking a hand between them, she pushed at his sweatpants, tugging the material down until she grasped his rock hard cock in her soft hands. 

But he couldn't do this...couldn't have sex with her here. And it wasn't because he didn't want to...fuck, yes he did, but he didn't have a condom. Slowly steering her hand away, he tucked himself back into his pants much to her dismay. She eyed him questioningly, but instead of explaining he simply stood and tugged her by the hips over to the edge of the desk. 

Without a word he tugged her pants down, taking her panties down with them so that she was bare from the waist down. He dropped to his knees and sucked in a breath as he looked at her. She was a vision.

With her shirt and bra forced up, her breasts bared to his gaze and her bare ass resting against the wood of the desk, she was glistening under the fluorescent light shining down. With his eyes on her face, he wrapped his arms around her thighs and buried his face between her legs. She let out a noise that was a cross between a squeal and a moan. The sounds escaping her encouraged him and he slid his tongue inside of her, tasting her. 

He'd never been so hard in his life. 

Her fingers found his hair and she gripped the shaggy strands hard, tugging him closer or just trying to hang on - he wasn't sure. Her head fell back against the desk and he closed his eyes, his mouth working her. Her thighs trembled around him as she lifted her hips slightly, her breath coming in short pants. 

He may not be fucking her on the desk like he had envisioned, but he was damn sure going to give her something to think about every time she sat down to do paperwork. She began to lift her hips repeatedly, rising to meet his tongue and he could tell that she was close. 

"Daryl...oh, God. Shit," she cursed breathlessly. 

His lips curved into a smile and he lifted her legs higher onto his shoulders as he began to move his tongue faster. He wanted to feel her come apart, feel the vibrations of her orgasm as she lost all control. He wanted to be her  _reason_ for losing control. Fuck, he wanted to do so many things to her. He had never felt like this before.

The moment she fell apart, Daryl latched himself onto her, both hands locking her in place. Her hands slapped against the wood of the desk as she cried out, her thighs quivering as the sensations coursed through her blood. He didn't release her until her body began to sag, the tension that had gripped her gone, at least for the moment anyway. 

He lowered her legs and climbed to his feet, her smell still assaulting his senses. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed red, and her lips parted. She was stunning. 

He didn't deserve someone like her. He couldn't figure out what she saw in a guy like him. 

When her eyes finally fluttered open and met his, she bit her lip shyly before adjusting her top to cover herself. He grabbed her hand and helped her sit up straight. 

"I can't believe we just did that," she said with a breathy laugh. 

"Yeah...me either," he admitted. "I don't regret it though. Do you?" 

"Are you kidding? Did I sound like I regretted it?" They both laughed. He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her in close to his body. He could feel the beat of her heart thumping almost in rhythm to his own. Being with her like that was awesome, but holding her was just as good in his opinion. She made him feel wanted. She made him want to protect her even though she was probably more than capable of protecting herself. 

Her fingers grazed his cheek. "Are you okay? Did something happen today?" 

Something  _had_ happened today, but did he really want to bring her into his bullshit? He knew if he told her that she would understand and probably even sympathize. It would feel good to get it all out and tell her his fears - that his brother might be doing some stupid shit that might get them hurt. Except he couldn't tell her that. She was already skittish about him fighting, that much he could tell and he hesitated to tell her anything else that might turn her completely away from him. He didn't think he could handle that right now. 

"Nothing to worry about," he assured her. "Just a bad day that suddenly got a whole lot better." 

She blushed. "If you say so."

She slid off of the desk and began to dress herself. He sat down in her chair and watched her, his mind half on her and half on the situation with Merle. He hated to doubt his brother at all, but what choice did he have? Merle had been acting different, no doubt about it.  _Something_ was going on that much was for certain. 

He noticed her watching him and he smiled at her softly. "What?" 

She shook her head, a smile teasing her lips in return. "I was just thinking about how sturdy that chair is." 

He groaned. 

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

The day had been as hectic as ever, but through vomit, nosebleeds, and fevers Carol was still smiling. Maybe it was the fact that every time she passed her office, her pulse did a little dance and her face grew flush. Or maybe it was the way she had woken up this morning, all soft and cozy and wrapped within Daryl's arms.

Either way she figured she had plenty to smile about.

She was happy. For the first time in as long as she could remember her life felt full. She felt cherished and safe. Not even the most difficult patient could dampen her mood.

So to actually make it through most of the day without getting questioned about the wide smile on her face was surprising to say the least. Until Andrea happened upon her as she was exiting an exam room, a patient's chart grasped firmly in one hand.

"You did it, didn't you?"

Carol paused, the question only catching her off guard for a second before she felt the responding blush rise up her neck. She quickly averted her eyes as she made a hasty escape to her office. As soon as she lay eyes on her desk she knew it had been a mistake to come here with Andrea hot on her heels. 

"Your silence says it all you know," Andrea said in a sing-song voice.

Carol bit down on her lip to stifle her grin, but one glance in Andrea's direction had them both bursting out in laughter.

"Oh my God," Carol breathed, "You are a terrible influence." 

Andrea grinned widely. "Duly noted, but I never claimed to be a saint. I just happen to believe in the art of love." She sighed dramatically.

Love? Carol's smile faded slightly. That was crazy. She hadn't even known Daryl that long. You couldn't fall in love with someone that fast. Stuff like that was for fairy tales - _not_ real life. She wasn't in love with Daryl Dixon, but she  _was_ happy.

"I'm just giving you a hard time. Besides I need something to break the monotony of this day. Is there a full moon or something? I didn't think it could get this busy."

"Just one of those days I guess. It happens every once in a while. Ready to run screaming yet?" Carol teased.

Andrea huffed as she crossed her arms. "Hardly. I'm actually enjoying myself. It really sucks that the position is only temporary."

Carol gnawed at the inside of her cheek, expression lost deep in thought. She knew she shouldn't say anything yet, but one of the other receptionists had just turned in her two weeks notice. It wasn't official until the paperwork had been filed, but Carol was pretty certain that Andrea was going to be more than just a temporary fixture around the office. If only she could get Alex to start talking to her again then maybe things wouldn't be so uncomfortable. Her friend had barely spoken more than a paragraph to her all day and that had to be some sort of record or something. 

"It might not be as temporary as you think," Carol said. 

Andrea raised a brow, clearly intrigued by this new bit of information. "Oh?" 

"But you didn't hear that from me, okay?" 

"Hear what?" Andrea smiled.

Carol looked up and their eyes met, an answering smile spreading over her own face. It felt good to have this new friendship with Andrea when her former friend seemed to be leaving her behind. "Exactly." 

* * *

 

His first warning that something was up should have been the sound of the loud rock music coming from the inside of the apartment. He brushed it off because he was tired and really loud music was nothing new when it came to his brother. Hell, Daryl liked his music loud from time to time. Except for now. Right now, he really just wanted to shower and fall into the bed because it had been a long day. 

He really should have heeded that first warning because he didn't get a second. 

The sight of some chick's naked ass gave him pause for only a second before he moved to the stereo. He bent over and jerked the cord from the outlet, enveloping the whole apartment into silence while simultaneously averting his eyes from anything that might drift into his viewpoint. 

"Oh my God!" The woman yelled out at the same time that Merle shouted, "What the fuck?" 

"How many times have I told you to take this shit into the bedroom, Merle? I don't want to be greeted by ass every time I open the door," Daryl said. He could hear the sounds of shuffling around, but he still wouldn't look in that direction. 

"Hell, I wouldn't complain. A fuckin' good welcome home if you ask me!" 

"That's why I didn't ask you," Daryl retorted. 

"Hey, I know you! You're chair guy!"

Well that got his attention. 

Daryl jerked his head up and stared directly into the eyes of the familiar blonde chick from the doctor's office. It took a few moments before what she called him to register within his brain and then he couldn't control the redness that seeped into his cheeks and down his neck. Granted they hadn't made use of the chair, but the things he had done to Carol across her desk... _shit_ , had Carol said something to her? 

"Uh, yeah." He rubbed his head. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath. 

"You know my brother?" Merle's voice cut in, startling them both. 

"He's dating my boss," the blonde chick stated. 

Now it was Merle's turn. "Fuck," he muttered. 

She stared between the two of them curiously, but at least she had pulled some clothes on. Daryl was thankful for that. Then it hit him that he had seen her ass and once that hit him he couldn't get the image out of his brain. Sometimes he figured that life really hated him. He didn't want some random chick's ass in his head. He wanted Carol's ass. Her nice, firm, curvy ass. He loved to run his hands over it. 

Fucking hell, now he was getting a boner. 

"Goddammit, Merle!" He stomped past them both down the hallway to his room where he promptly slammed the door. 

* * *

 

 

Carol had just settled into bed, a thick paperback book in one hand and a small glass of wine on her bedside table when her cell phone rang. It startled her so badly that she nearly knocked the glass of wine over in her haste to grab it from the table. Muttering curses beneath her breath, she barely saved the wine from sudden death and grabbed her phone, answering with a breathless, "Hello?" 

There was silence for several moments before Daryl's voice drifted through the line. "You okay?" 

Carol sighed at the sound of his voice and let her body sink back onto her mountain of pillows. _Was she okay?_ She would be better if he were there with her, his warm body curled up next to hers. 

Or on _top_ of hers, either way was good with her. A giggle escaped her mouth and she clapped one hand over it in a wasted effort to silence herself. 

"Have you been... _drinking_?" 

"Sorry," Carol said quickly. "I'm having some wine, but I'm fine. Is everything okay? It's kind of late..."

"Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. Shit. I'll let you get some sleep." She heard him mutter a string of curses and she smiled. 

"No, no, it's fine. I'm not sleeping. I was just going to read a little. Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep so this is my way of relaxing."

He cleared his throat. "You didn't have any problems fallin' asleep when I was there."

Her smile broadened as she realized that he was right. She had fallen right to sleep when he had been there. Go figure. 

"But you're not here now."

More silence. "I can be there in ten."

Carol sat up straight in the bed and stared down at her puppy covered pajamas. The ones she knew were as far from sexy as possible, but that she wore purely for comfort reasons only. 

"But...I don't want you to feel like you have to come over here just for that."

"Oh. Well, I mean, I can stay here then." She frowned at the slight tinge of hurt in his tone, but he carried on before she could comment. "Hey, that blonde chick at your office? The one from the other night when I...stopped by?" 

Carol's cheeks flamed just thinking about it. She grabbed her glass of wine and downed the remains in one gulp before answering. "You mean Andrea?" 

"Yeah, her. She was here - or well, she might still be here. I ain't sure." 

"What?" Carol's mind began to whirl and she wasn't sure she was following the conversation anymore. "Why was she there?" Had Andrea gone to talk to Daryl or something? Carol would kill her if she had. 

Daryl cleared his throat. "She was ridin' my brother." 

"Riding? You mean-  _oh_! Holy shit."

"Yeah, exactly. Wait- did you just cuss?" Daryl snorted. 

Carol fell back onto the pillows of her bed dramatically. "Sorry." She was greeted with more silence which she was starting to think was the norm for a phone conversation with Daryl Dixon. Had she offended him? That wasn't possible because he cursed all the time. Maybe he was rubbing off on her? 

"Daryl?"

"That was fucking hot."

" _Oh_." His voice warmed her from the inside out. She envisioned them in her bed naked, her riding  _him._ All those muscles he had built up from fighting glistening with sweat as he gripped her hips to hold her steady...Maybe she could return the favor from the other day. Just the thought of it was making her hotter and she just lay there breathing in and out. 

"Carol?" His voice sounded as breathless as she was feeling. 

"Yeah?" She croaked.

"I'll be there in ten."

"Okay." 

Shit. She needed to change her pajamas. 

* * *

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

The only sexy thing that Carol owned to sleep in was a thigh-length silk gown that she had purchased several months ago but never worn. She barely had time to change, run a brush through her hair, and brush her teeth before Daryl was knocking at her door. Running a hand through her hair once more, she grabbed her refilled glass of wine and threw open the door. 

His dark blue eyes radiated with so much heat as they roved over her that Carol had to take another drink. Daryl's hand caught her wrist as she brought the glass down and still holding her hand, he finished off the wine. Neither of them had spoken a word, but their eyes said everything. 

Carol set the empty glass on a nearby table and grabbed his hand, leading him inside. He followed behind her, his breath heavy as his boots thudded across her wooden floors. Goosebumps raced up her arms as they entered her room and she felt the heat of his body at her back. His breath was hot on her neck, but he didn't touch her. She felt as though her body was stretched tight with tension that only he could release. 

Emboldened by the heat of the moment - or maybe by the wine - Carol stepped back so that her body collided with his own. His breath shuddered over her shoulder and up her neck until it caressed her ear. 

"Daryl." 

"God...Carol." 

She bit down on her lip. She couldn't ever remember feeling so... _hot_. "Touch me." 

His breath stuttered and she felt his lips graze her skin. "Where?"

She grabbed his hand and slid it slowly down her belly, stopping just as she grazed the intense heat between her thighs. She felt drunk with arousal and a need so great that having Daryl touch her was all that she could think about. 

When his hand didn't continue the downward assent, Carol stretched to her toes, arching her body into him. His fingers traced over her, catching the edge of her gown in their grip. Tan skin slipped beneath pale silk to the heat she contained. 

A soft moan escaped her lips as his own latched onto her neck, thick fingers simultaneously sliding into soft folds. He altered his stance, one booted foot on either side of her bare feet. She glanced down only briefly before shuddering as he dipped inside of her heat. With a soft sigh, she let her head fall back to his shoulder, turning her neck so that she could look up at him. His breath was warm as he met her gaze. 

Carol let her eyes drift closed the moment his lips touched her own and they moaned together at the contact. His lips moved against her own, soft and exploring, then hard and demanding. She took everything he offered, yet it still wasn't enough. She craved more.

Before she could think to turn around, Daryl gave her a gentle shove towards the bed and she fell against it, hands splayed, pulse frantic. His body followed her own, blue jeans grazing the back of her thighs. He placed the palm of one hand on the small of her back and slowly inched the silk of her gown upward. She shivered as his lips touched the skin he had just uncovered. The ache between her legs grew until she couldn't keep still and she wriggled with excitement. 

A wicked thought tumbled into her brain and she turned her head to gaze at him over her shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Fuck me." 

His lips twitched at her use of profanity, but there was no mistaking the spark of heat in his eyes. Abandoning position, she rolled over and watched as he shed himself of his clothing. The shadows played off of his muscles, dipping into the curves and hard lines of his toned body. Even marked with various scars and scratches, he was perfect. 

He was perfect because he wasn't. 

She eyed the erection between his legs that beckoned for attention as he crawled over her, his eyes scanning her own. She ran the palm of her hand over the stubble on his face and he closed his eyes to her touch. 

"Carol..."

"Shh..."

 

 

* * *

 

 

"You ready for this weekend, brother?" Merle lounged casually against the weight machine, watching as Daryl finished his reps. 

Daryl glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye, but said nothing for the moment. If he was honest, he didn't really know what to say to his brother lately. Merle had seemed to be back to his normal self, but there was still something off that Daryl couldn't quite put his finger on. He hated this doubt that he had for his brother more than anything, but if Merle wasn't talking then Daryl didn't know what to do about it. 

"Gonna say anything?" 

"Ready as I'll ever be," Daryl responded with a sarcastic tone. He grimaced and his hands shook slightly as he lifted the weight to return it to the cradle. Merle seemed to finally focus and he straightened, stepping forward to spot Daryl in case he needed it. Daryl sat up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression thoughtful. 

"The fuck is eatin' you?" Merle asked.

"Nothin', Merle." He sighed. "Who am I up against again?" Not that he really cared.

He couldn't seem to force himself to care about these fights anymore. They hadn't bothered him so much before, but then he had met Carol. Now he found himself wanting to do better...to  _be_ better. He was ready to advance and make a name for himself. It was time. 

Merle scowled. "Cheech."

Daryl frowned in confusion and then he remembered his most recent encounter in the locker room. "Martinez, you mean."

Merle shrugged. "Whatever. It's all the same, ain't it?" 

Daryl wasn't in the mood to argue. He glanced at the clock and saw that he only had a few hours before Carol would get off work. It would be just enough time for him to get a quick run in and then go home to shower before heading to her place. He swatted Merle with the towel as he passed.

"I'm out." 

"Where the hell you going? We got work to do, brother!" Merle raised his arms in exasperation. 

Daryl didn't turn as he balled up and tossed the towel over his shoulder, effectively hitting Merle in the chest with it. "Guess you better get busy then because I'm done for the day." He could hear Merle grumbling under his breath as he headed for the locker room to grab his small duffle bag. He planned on tossing it in the truck so that he could make the run back home. His body craved the exercise. 

Of course as soon as he started thinking about exercise his mind drifted to Carol and the way they both could _exercise_ together later that evening. The thought put a smile on his face and that explained the reason that he was distracted as he pushed open the back door to leave. 

The back of the gym was sanctioned off from the street and he never saw the three men who walked from behind the dumpsters until it was too late. The hair on his arms prickled as if alerting him to danger and that saved him from the first hit, but not from the second. Somewhere along the way his bag got lost to the side as he was tossed around, taking several punches to the gut and face. Blood poured over his right eye and he struggled to identify his abusers. They were all wearing black masks over their faces so it was useless. He did the best that he could, but he was outnumbered and he knew it. 

Using one of the techniques he had learned long ago, he retreated within himself, blocking out the pain as best he could. It pissed him off that he had let himself be caught off guard. He fell to the ground, refusing to cry out from the pain as they continued to lay into him. He focused on Carol, glad that she hadn't been with him. The men around him grunted and cursed, muffled voices taunting him, but he tuned them out. He cracked open one eye, hoping to spot anything to use as a weapon when he saw him. 

He was just a shadow, standing in the alley in the distance so Daryl couldn't make out his face, but there was something familiar just the same. Daryl felt eyes on him and he continued to stare at the shadowed stranger, willing him to step into the light. The fiery tip of a cigarette glowed in the darkness, sparking a trigger of a memory within Daryl, but even as he searched his brain he felt the blackness drawing in.

It swallowed him whole and then there was nothing.

 

 

 

 


End file.
